When Diana Prince first left Themyscira to act as the champion of Earth, her bravery and devotion to truth made her a superhero in the eyes of the mortals she was sworn to protect. Captain Susan Pruet is an exemplary guardian in her own right, wielding her badge as her lasso of truth and refusing to back down from danger if it means helping someone in need.
Like Prince, Pruet’s family shaped her into a human being who values hard work and taught her from a young age she could do anything she put her mind to, regardless of what others thought of her. That attitude carried her through her career.
Pruet was part of one of the first waves of women to be hired by the FBI. She worked daunting cases and proved time and again she was not only equal to her peers, but often above par.
“I’ve been very blessed,” Pruet said. “The Lord has blessed me with a career where I get to do something different every hour.”
It was a fascination with J. Edgar Hoover and a draw to the mysterious nature — and impressive hat collection — of a relative who was in the FBI that turned her toward the force. Originally, though, she went to college to become a teacher. She majored in early childhood education and spent nearly seven years in a classroom. When it was announced women were going to be seriously considered for the Bureau, she applied on a lark and shocked even herself when she passed and became an agent.
“Talk about totally unprepared,” Pruet said. “The only good thing was I had brothers, so when it came to the physical training, I didn’t struggle to prove my own in the boxing ring.”
No one told her the training academy was essentially a boot camp. When she returned from Quantico she was ready to prove she could handle anything the FBI threw at her.
“There were things that hadn’t been addressed simply because it hadn’t popped up before,” Pruet said. “It might have been easier for me than some of the other women because my parents raised my siblings and I to all be equally self-sufficient. It was awkward at first because several men told me I didn’t belong there, but every single one ended up being friends once I had proven myself.”
When it came to picking specialties, she gravitated toward violent crimes. Records drove her nuts, but she would be fully invested with the mystery of a kidnapping or bank robbery.
If they were tracking down members of the mob, she’d be the first to the door, merely raising an eyebrow when the man who answered said he’d never seen “one of her kind before.” She had someone attempt to hire a hitman to take her out, found herself working some of the country’s most intricate cases of all time and soaked in every second of it.
She adopted her daughter from Colombia. The country was in the middle of its infamous drug war and the FBI heavily advised she not go and retrieve her child. Pruet boarded a flight, pushed her way to her daughter and brought her home anyway.
Everything changed after 9/11. Pruet began to look at the horizon and soon ended up working for the FDLE. Following her expertise, she continued to work violent crimes and was tasked with determining if central Florida had a gang problem. She spent countless hours in and out of police departments, poring over cases and getting to know the officers. She’d been in Plant City many times working on a case of a gang comprised mainly of juveniles with lengthy criminal records. They ended up identifying more than 60 members and many were found guilty of being a part of a criminal enterprise. Then Chief Bill McDaniel, who is now the City Manager, joked that since Pruet had been in Plant City so much she might as well work here.
So she did.
“It’s kind of like the dream job,” Pruet said. “I’ve learned so much and there’s just a fantastic group of people here…I’m the oldest one in the entire department so I know how hard it will be to leave. I’ve been in law enforcement 39 years and counting. There’s something else on the horizon, I just don’t know what it is yet.”
With her experience comes wisdom and Pruet said of all the titles she’s been called her favorite is not special agent or captain, but Adah, which is the name her grandson calls her. She said she hopes that she’s able to give back to the community that has given so much to her and that she leaves a legacy her family and peers can be proud of.
Get to know Susan
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten?
“To the best of your ability follow your path. God will get you there, it’s up to you to just follow along your path as best you can.”
What’s your favorite book?
I’m an avid reader, most of the library staff know me by now…It’s hard to pick a favorite, though. The last book I read was “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.
Who is a woman that’s inspired you?
My mother was a true Wonder Woman before it became popular to be called one. She was an only child and spent the majority of her childhood away from her parents. Her father was a colonel in the Army during WWII. He and my grandmother were one of the first people to go into Japan after the bomb. They would not allow children so my mother stayed at a boarding school… She was the epitome of southern grace. My parents advocated that you count your blessings… If we are blessed, it is kind of up to you to serve others.
What do you hope to see change in Plant City in the next 10 years?
As we continue to grow — and I’ve been here since 1995 when it was still a very, very small town — leaps and bounds I hope in 10 years that small-town feeling is still here.
Which three words would you use to describe yourself?
Honest, frank and I am very opinionated.
What’s the hardest life lesson you’ve learned?
Balance. Balance is difficult, yet you have to learn if you’re a woman or a man in a career field, that there has to be a balance between your personal and your professional life.