Whidbey woman elected as president of Soroptimist International of the Americas
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Whidbey resident Sue Riney was elected on Sept. 1 as board president for Soroptimist International of the Americas, Inc., a global volunteer organization with more than 25,000 members worldwide, that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment, according to a press release.
Riney, a well-known volunteer in the community, previously lived in Oak Harbor but now resides inLangley.
“As board president, Riney will guide the board in shaping the organization’s vision, overseeing its financial and strategic direction, and leading efforts to amplify Soroptimist’s global impact in empowering women and girls to achieve their full potential through access to education — the single most effective poverty intervention,” the press release states.
A member of Soroptimist Oak Harbor since 1996, Riney has held several leadership positions within the organization. These include Soroptimist International public relations liaison, board president-elect, board secretary/treasurer, convention co-chair and region governor; she served twice as president of the local Oak Harbor club.
“It is such an extraordinary opportunity to have been elected by the membership of SIA to this leadership position,” Riney said. “It is especially humbling to realize that the work we do locally to improve the lives of women and girls through access to education is part of a much larger, global movement. Soroptimists around the world are all bound by a common thread, a collective commitment to creating a world where every women and girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential. I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of our work, and I am honored to contribute further to that mission.”
In addition to her work as a Soroptimist, Riney is a ruling elder and co-chair of the Worship Committee at Whidbey Presbyterian Church in Oak Harbor,and was involved on- and off-stage for over forty years at Whidbey Playhouse. She holds a BA degree in recreation and park management from Western Washington University and retired after 40 years as a vice president and project manager for Wells Fargo Bank.
