Suzanne Arkle,
President + CEO, ZANN
Suzanne Arkle is President and CEO of ZANN, a management-consulting firm that advises clients on small business growth, workforce development and participation on mega projects. Her clients include large public sector institutions, prime contractors, consultants and D/S/MW/ACDBE business enterprises. She provides strategic advice to senior leadership about all aspects of project planning and implementation related to increasing and measuring D/S/MW/ACDBE business growth and participation in major infrastructure projects. Through these services ZANN has directed the goals and utilization of over $3.9B for small businesses on projects valued at over $14B.
With operations in Denver, Los Angeles, Seattle and Chicago, ZANN’s project experience and diverse perspective (working for public agencies and prime contractors) brings value and improved client outcomes. Ms. Arkle is currently designing the financial capacity building program for the Chicago Transit Authority Red Purple Modernization project. She has executed the DBE/SBE and workforce programs on the Regional Transportation District (RTD) FasTracks I-225 Rail Line project and North Metro Commuter Rail Line. She has also served as strategic MWBE advisor on the Hotel Transit Center and the Commerce HUB at Denver International Airport (DEN). Ms. Arkle has advised the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) on the Central 70 project, a $1.3B P3 on DBE/ESB and Workforce Development. Previously, she has been a member of the public outreach team for the Denver Union Station Redevelopment, RTD FasTracks I-225 Light Rail EIS, and the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility Supplemental EA.
She is a member of the Program Management Team for the development of the 270-acre National Western Center. Ms. Arkle will be responsible for developing and implementing consistent guidelines and processes for small business participation and workforce development during the life of the 15-year project.
She has worked as the Vice President of Economic Opportunity for the Chicago Urban League, as the Deputy Director for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and in New York with Exxon International as a petroleum planning analyst and CitiBank in credit lending.
She has been widely recognized for her work as the DBE/SBE Consultant for the Eagle P3 project which she developed a comprehensive small business program for the first P3 in transit in the nation. The strategy included process definition, program monitoring and execution, tools and metrics, and creation of a business leader forum to regularly solicit input from external stakeholders. It has become a model for engagement in P3 partnerships that is being replicated in other jurisdictions. She has also been recognized for her work in creating the CapBuild™ program which provides access to capital and bonding for mega projects.
Ms. Arkle gives her time to a mentoring program for young women that is focused on building leadership skills. She has also been a member of the Craig Hospital Foundation Board, the Denver Scholarship Foundation, DRCOG Citizen’s Advisory Committee, and is currently a member of the International Women’s Forum. She is a graduate of the Denver Chamber of Commerce – Access Denver Leadership and the Transit Alliance Citizen Academy.
She has an MBA in Finance/Accounting from UCLA and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Urban Studies and Economics.