Shirley Krause
Director of Supply Chain Technology

Shirley Krause is the Director of Supply Chain Technology at Sargento Foods, Inc. Her background holds an emphasis on CI (continuance improvement), problem solving, automation, system upgrades and software implementation. She has a master’s degree in management and Organization Behavior. 

Certification: Certified SAFe 5 Product Owner/Product Managers, Certified SAFe 5 Practitioner 

Shirley and her husband Randy Susen were together for 30 years. They both shared the love of travel, visiting 14 countries, with many more planned in the future. On their last trip, to Croatia, Randy became critically ill. He suffered a massive subdermal hematoma, requiring an emergency craniotomy. He survived the surgery and spent 3 weeks in the ICU. His vital signs were excellent, but he wasn’t coming out of the medically induced coma. The medical staff said to give him the best chance of recovery, he needed to be in the US because he will need extensive therapy.  Shirley arranged for a medical evacuation back to Wisconsin.

Once back in the states, the support and hopes for recovery in the eyes of these doctors wasn’t the same. She had to push for tests and a recovery plan. By the 3rd day, without even an MRI ordered, a new intensivist started his rotation. He said she needed to decide in a week or two, when she wanted to let Randy go; he is not coming out of this. He said if Randy woke up, he would just lay there in a vegetative state. He wouldn’t know you are his wife, you would mean nothing to him. It was hearing those words that Shirley became aware, Randy’s only chance for survival where for her to become his relentless advocate and quarterback of the medical team. She realized that she could apply the basic structures of her current career to help navigate the system.

Shirley was able to get the MRI done, which also showed Randy also suffered from a Mid-Brain stroke, but did not reach the brain stem. Over the next 6 months, Randy would continue to prove the doctors were wrong and defy the odds. Not only did he know Shirley was his wife, but where and when we were married. 

Since Randy needed 100% care and extensive therapy, the plan was to keep him in acute care, to build his strength, so he could come home.  Progress continued and Randy had a team of people on his side helping daily. On March 16th, 2020, the nursing him enforced the no visitor rule. For 3 months, Shirley could only visit him once a day for an hour, through a window. Shirley spent hundreds of hours trying to find a way to be with him. No one would or could help. Eventually, Randy started to regress with his recovery and eventually couldn’t eat or take medication. Loneliness and isolation were too much for him. Shirley and Randy were one of those couples who were inseparable. Randy was taken to the hospital and doctors said there is nothing more that can be done. They said Shirley should arrange for Hospice care. Randy died on July 4th, 2020.  

Shirley has taken her grief to find meaning in the loss of her beloved Randy. She is devoting her life his life and legacy, with 4 projects. Through MHA, she founded the widows support group Lemonade. Through her employer, she implemented a Life Planning Series that consisted of end-of-life planning, international travel emergency preparedness, and grief support. The third program strives for advocacy and rights for disabled and elderly in the nursing homes. Lastly, she is working within the TBI space, including advocacy, awareness, with the vision of a Foundation in Randy’s name. On March 5th, Shirley attended the Brain Injury Awareness Day on Capitol Hill with 8 other people representing the Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin. Shirley’s closing comment to the legislators was that “Everyone should have the right to live.”