Thank you for everything Sue
This week we say a fond farewell to Sue Uttridge in her last week with the PCA, as she heads off into retirement! A number of past and present members and board members share their memories of working with Sue over the past 17 years.
We wish you a very happy retirement Sue and we'll all miss you. Keep scrolling down to hear and read the testimonials...
Steve Hodgson
"Trying to express my personal and professional feeling for Sue into a few lines of text is quite frankly, impossible. How do you express appreciation for a person who has had my back for almost two decade. My tenure as the CEO of this organisation would have looked very different if it had not been for Sue. Kicking down doors is easy, the hard bit is smiling and getting the ideas to work, keeping the business and the staff engaged and making sure you get paid. Sue has been the fixer, the locater, the calming hand, the confidant and the friend.
Thank you Sue – thank you from the members, the wider community touched by PCA, your team and from me. Always your friend - always grateful and always here if you need me."
Andrew Bradshaw
"I first met Sue when I joined the board in 2008 and from day one, I have always had the upmost respect for her. Without doubt she is one of, if not the, best thing that has happened to the association. Over the years we have built up a special relationship, Sue was great support for me during my tenure as national Chairman of the PCA, and we have supported each other since including every year at the awards ceremony where her exceptional management skills were witnessed by everyone. Sue will leave a huge gap in the Association.
I will always be very grateful of our special bond, and I am very proud to say I have made a friend for life. I am really going to miss her.
Enjoy your retirement my friend…you deserve it xx"
Robert Mitchell
"Sue is what the very best of the expression ‘at the end of the phone’ on so many occasions , really means. I would phone knowing that she would have the answer, or make it happen, or know who needed to be contacted, all at the same time as maintaining a calm professional and really warm generous approach.
The Invasive Weed Group have been so lucky to have such an experienced, professional and ‘always able to deliver’ person at the helm to help it start and then get going. Sue was one of the key people that steered the IWG now to a point of maturity and stability where it can dare to ‘let her go’ and be moderately comfortable that we, along with all the team in the office, will be ok…..just about!
Sue made a massive difference to how the IWG grew and became more mature. Sue has made my experience of the PCA a happy one and I will miss her a lot."
Ian Greenwood
"Since working with Sue in the early days of the PCA, I have always found it a pleasure due to her professionalism, efficiency, diligence, courtesy, compassion, kindness and generosity. Sue has been instrumental in the PCA’s development and has provided positive support for everybody with whom she has been involved - the Board, members, colleagues and suppliers alike.
I wish Sue a very well deserved, happy, healthy and long retirement!"
Dean and Annabelle Webster
"It is with a mix of joy and sadness that we, Dean and Annabelle Webster, pen this testimonial for Sue, an exceptional individual who has been the heart and soul of the Property Care Association (PCA) for many years. Having joined the PCA around 2009, we have had the privilege of witnessing her incredible journey as the company secretary. Over the past 15 years, Sue has been much more than a colleague to us and the entire PCA community; she has been a pillar of strength, a source of unwavering support, and a beacon of kindness.
Sue’s empathetic and kind-hearted nature made her an all-round superstar, not just in her professional capacity but also on a personal level. Her dedication to the PCA and its members has been unparalleled. She has been a guiding light, helping navigate through challenges while always ensuring that everyone felt heard and valued. Her retirement marks the end of an era for the PCA and a personal loss for us. Sue’s presence at the helm of the PCA along side Steve has been a constant source of comfort and inspiration. Her ability to balance professionalism with genuine care and friendship is rare. We have shared laughter, celebrations, and even tears, creating memories that will be cherished forever.
The PCA will undoubtedly feel different without Sue’s guiding presence. However, the legacy she leaves behind—a legacy of compassion, dedication, and excellence—will continue to inspire us all. Sue, as you embark on this new chapter in your life, know that you leave behind a trail of positivity and profound impact. You will be greatly missed, but we are excited for all the adventures that lie ahead for you.
Wishing you all the happiness and fulfillment in your well-deserved retirement."
Jackie & Andrew Wright
"The Mother Hen of all. Your unwavering kindness and grace swept through the organisation bringing harmony and order that only a female like you could do in a male orientated organisation.
Your dedication made a huge difference to even the smallest of companies and your eye-rolling used to brighten my day!!! Your legacy of warmth and wisdom will be very hard to match.
I wish you every happiness in your new role as a retiree - I suspect you will be as busy as ever though xx"
Peter Reay
"Sue's retirement marks the end of an era defined by unwavering dedication and unparalleled professionalism. Her care, hard work and personal touch have been the cornerstone of the PCA’s success over the years.
Her unwavering commitment to excellence made everything tick, but beyond that, Sue's guidance and support were instrumental to me personally in my time on the Board. Sue's legacy of helpfulness and professionalism will forever be an inspiration to us all."
Max Wade
"Metaphors for Sue that slip off the tongue are rock, foundation, solid, reliability personified; all very true and how the PCA has benefited. So, how did Sue manage to be so warm, supportive; always a smile even when I knew I was in trouble for this and that? How? Because she is a very complete person which helps to explain why we’ll miss her the more.
From all in the Invasive Weeds Group, enjoy your retirement Sue and live it to the full!"
Jim Glaister
"It has been my great pleasure to know Sue over the past decade I have been involved with the PCA. To call Sue a stalwart of the Association is something of an understatement. She has always provided a reassuring and dependable presence and will leave very big shoes to fill.
On a personal level, I have been grateful for her support and have nothing but affection for her. I wish her well in her future endeavours. She will be greatly missed."
Hudson Lambert
"It was a pleasure to work with Sue when I was serving on the PCA board. Working closely with Steve and the team, Sue has been the invisible hand that has steered the association through a period of great change and progress. One of her standout successes was her pivotal role in growing the conferences, both in terms of attendance and in the quality of the events.
I wish Sue all the best for her retirement, and I hope that she is able to continue a relationship with the Association through her Honorary Membership. I think we'd all love to see her at next year's Awards Dinner."
And there's more...
Many of you will have seen this video, featuring some of our members together with the PCA Team, who recorded their thoughts and memories of both Steve and Sue which we shared at the Best Practice Awards dinner in July.
Please join us in wishing them both well...