Suzanne Ratzlaff, Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park board member, stands in front of the park’s Immigrant House in 2020. It was being refurbished. The Immigrant House is a key element to Heritage Park. News-Times file photo
Suzanne Ratzlaff was awarded for her work on the Henderson Heritage & Tourism Committee on Thursday
Editor’s (Shannon Siebert) note: I nominated Suzanne Ratzlaff for the 2026 Impact Award for her tireless efforts in promoting and leading Henderson Heritage & Tourism and in developing the Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park & Museum. Congratulations Suzanne! Read this story written by Parker Garlough about her accomplishments.
York News-Times Reprint
| Suzanne Ratzlaff grew up in California, many miles from Henderson. Since moving there in the 1970s, she has thrown herself into understanding and celebrating the town’s history. In the 1990s, when the Henderson Heritage and Tourism Committee was created, Ratzlaff was one of the founding members. Since 2016, she has chaired the committee. Her nominator said her work over the past decade has been exceptional. “For someone to stay in charge for 10 years is already quite something,” Shannon Siebert said. “I was chairman for a while. It’s not an easy job.” One of Ratzlaff’s accomplishments is the recently constructed gathering center, for which she raised about $700,000. The center has had a real impact on tourism to the park. “We needed a place where we could get at least 100 people in a building … we’ve had a lot of groups come out, because we have a place for them now,” Siebert said. Tourism helps keep Henderson alive. “It’s a huge asset to our town that we get visitors from all over,” Siebert said. From maintaining relationships with donors to amassing a team of dedicated volunteers, Ratzlaff’s ability to connect with people is the key to her effectiveness as a leader. “She’s a great leader,” Siebert said. “She has vision. She sees what needs to be done, and she does it — either by herself, or she’s very good at recruiting volunteers.” One way she connects with people is through storytelling—an ability she honed during her years as an elementary school teacher. “If she can use a story to tell you something, that’s how she’ll do it,” Siebert said. Passion fuels Ratzlaff’s work on the Henderson Heritage and Tourism Committee. “She just really has a heart for promoting tourism to the area through the park,” Siebert said. |
