Guv'na Candidate Has it in Heart to Help Others

When Susan Gulash was first approached about joining something called the Lutz Guv’na race, her brain was thinking something different.

“I thought it was a type of marathon,” she said.

Nope. Gulash, a three-year Lutz resident, was then informed it was a faux-political event that finds candidates vying to raise the most money for Lutz-area nonprofits. The winner earns the honorary title of Guv’na, getting sworn in on a copy of Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham."

Gulash, who runs a home-based graphic design company named Gulash Graphics, was wrong but still interested. The mother of two first got into the spirit of giving back when she went to Nicaragua as a teen. Gulash was part of a mission trip that brought American police K-9s to the Central American country’s police force as well as shoes and clothing for an orphanage.

The gratitude was overwhelming, Gulash said, likening the experience to the scene in “Indiana Jones” where the kids in India come running up in mass to offer hugs.

“That’s how I felt that day,” she said. “It’s always been in my heart to help others.”

The Guv’na raise is in full swing. Candidates will hold a series of fundraisers leading up to July 4, when the winner will be announced.

Gulash is facing off against Lauren Leahey, membership vice president for the GFWC Pasco Junior Woman's Club; Suzin Carr, a self-published author and former Guv'na; and Karin D'Amico, the incumbent.

Whether she wins of not, Gulash said it has been a blast to “meet new people and help the community.”

What’s the best part about living in Lutz? 

“It’s a small community,” she said. “Everybody knows everybody. … They open their arms to help you out. I love it up here.”

See also:

Newcomer Enters Lutz Guv'na Race

Guv’na Candidates Buying Votes 1 Buck at a Time

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