Susan McKay serves as the Chief District Management Officer for the Newark Downtown District (NDD), an affiliate of Newark Alliance. In this role, she leads efforts to maintain a clean, safe, vibrant, and welcoming downtown. Her work includes overseeing public space management, strategic planning, the performance of the NDD Ambassador Program, and partnerships that support capital improvement initiatives. Susan’s work reinforces Newark Alliance’s mission to foster inclusive economic growth by enhancing the quality of life in the city’s core commercial corridors.

A passionate advocate for equitable urban revitalization, Susan brings close to a decade of operational expertise and leadership to her role. Prior to serving in this position, she held multiple leadership roles at NDD, including Director of Operations and Operations Manager, where she was responsible for day-to-day service delivery and shaping the district’s operational strategy. Her work included engaging directly with businesses, residents, and visitors to ensure that downtown remains a vibrant, people-first environment.

Susan is a Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) and continues to build cross-sector partnerships that advance capital projects and community-centered planning across downtown Newark. She is committed to creating public spaces that are inclusive, well-managed, and reflective of Newark’s diverse community.

Outside of work, Susan enjoys writing and spending time with her daughter, playing the Hammond B3 organ on Sunday mornings, and hopes to one day publish a memoir exploring the joys and imbalances of adulthood.