Serving and Uplifting Local Businesses
Susan McKay
Director Of Operations, NDD
As the Director of Operations for NDD, Susan juggles the operations and logistics for the NDD with intentional, indefatigable community outreach. During her tenure, she has seen the district grow and businesses prosper and actively enjoys engaging with the many local store owners. As the NDD expands and will soon reach all the way to the viaduct, she jokes that she could use the superpower of flight, so that she could easily visit all the people and enterprises she supports.
In fact, her real superpower is her positive spirit. When she was originally hired four and a half years ago as Operations Manager, two separate team leaders told her she was “too nice” for the job. Happily proving them wrong, her warmth and encouragement have made her a powerful connecting force between the NDD and local businesses.
Serving the stakeholders and bolstering the community of Newark are her driving forces. “NDD is a creative aggregation of believers who are committed to serving and bettering their community,” she proudly states. As such, “community involvement is everything. We realize that no one entity can make it by themselves.
“NDD is a creative aggregation of believers who are committed to serving and bettering their community”
“In order for us to make the community better in a quantifiable way, we have to have partnerships. We have to build relationships with the people that work everyday to make Newark better.”
Her passion for community is expressed in another way—as a musician. She plays the piano and the Hammond B3 organ and is the Minister of Music at Serenity Baptist Church in Paterson, a position she has held for 22 years.
Favorite store in Newark:
BrownMill Company
The owner and designer of BrownMill, Justis Pitt, is exactly the type of entrepreneur that Susan champions. “Justis Pitt-Goodson, his team and his family are so close to my heart. They represent the best the community offers. They are intentional in everything they do, from design to point of sale, and I am proud to call them partners and friends.”
BrownMill is a lifestyle clothing brand, an innovative combination of bespoke tailoring and street wear. Their handcrafted garments include collared shirts, embroidered jackets, graphic t-shirts, and single-cut pants—customized for every individual. All of BrownMill’s clothes are produced using recycled textile material which comes from clothing waste, donations, imports, and thrift stores.