Supporting a diverse network of leaders across the world who are committed to advancing racial equity in arts and culture and making an impact in their community.
Suzan E. Jenkins is a CEO, advocate, leadership coach and strategic consultant. Suzan’s expertise is in leading teams and spearheading organizational and programmatic development in the national and international arts and culture sector.
A New York native, Suzan’s deep understanding of critical and complex cultural norms, is informed by her upbringing in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Suzan’s vast professional experiences – in the performing and visual arts, retail, banking, the recording industry, the federal government and higher education – inform her keen interests at the intersection of business, innovation, equity and impact.
A critical voice in the movement towards operationalizing racial equity in the arts and culture sector throughout many facets of her career, Suzan’s advocacy work in the music industry towards royalty-reform, her work in the development and implementation of Racial Equity Principles at National Arts Strategies and her work as a member of the Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission in her community bolsters this commitment. Suzan is dedicated to anti-racist work that is both organizationally and individually bound.
Suzan’s education includes Harvard Business School’s Chief Executive Program: Community and Culture; University of Michigan’s Ross Business School; Certification in Leadership and Team Effectiveness from the National Leadership Institute; a BS in Psychology and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
As leaders, we are always searching for ways to strategically problem solve and forge new ground. If you are a race-conscious leader grappling with current issues in multinational, multicultural settings, let’s talk. Contact Suzan at coachsuzanj at gmail.com for a complimentary exploratory session.
“Suzan Jenkins is a phenomenal coach. She not only listens with care, intention, and consideration, she also provides deep wisdom and wit. Suzan guided me as I stepped into my first executive role and coached me through the challenges of leading an organization in transition. She helped me realize my strengths and identify areas of growth. I learned to not only be a better leader with her guidance but also how to be grounded in my values and asset within that leadership. Her coaching is about revealing both the external conditions that you’re facing but also the internal resources that are available to you. I cannot recommender her coaching and guidance enough.” Courtney Harge – CEO, OF/BY/FOR ALL
“I’ve worked with Suzan for 18 months and it has been transformative. As a hard–charging & driven executive, I needed someone who could understand my challenges while providing a fresh perspective. Suzan fit perfectly. She listens, understands, and fearlessly offers insights. Her talent for identifying behavioral leadership patterns has been invaluable to improve my self awareness. Thanks to her fresh woman’s perspective & guidance, I’ve learned to lead more with my heart while staying true to my values. I admire Suzan and cannot recommend her enough. Her impact on my professional growth has been immeasurable. Keep up the incredible work, Suzan!” Jim Morales, CFA CMA FP&A CSCA
“Suzan’s coaching (and friendship) has been an invaluable blessing during the biggest transition of my career and life. Her wise questions helped me to understand the power of curiosity in leadership and the importance of trusting “myself, the process and the people”. She helped me gain perspective and compassion for the limited beliefs I have held onto about myself and encouraged me when I felt stuck. Her sense of humor stands out as one of her superpowers and our laughter was a healing balm. Suzan helped me navigate many critical moments and decisions in my first year of a new role. She is a brilliant and resourceful coach that I cannot recommend highly enough!” Sita Frederick, Director, Center for the Performing Arts @ Penn State University
“Suzan is the deeply compassionate, fiercely intelligent, wise and witty confidante you need in your (professional) life! She coached me through two of the most challenging times in my career and her help got me through to the other side so much better than if I’d tried to go it alone. She helped me see myself and my work in a clearer light and gave me tools to better navigate the turbulent waters of leadership in the culture sector. I felt truly seen and understood in our conversations. No matter how big the challenge before me or how overwhelmed I felt in the moment, Suzan was able to help me to take a minute, breathe, surface the real root of the problem, and identify the personal, internal, and external resources I could tap to move forward. I cannot recommend her highly enough.” Tim Lennon, former Executive Director, LANGSTON, Seattle
“Suzan’s spot-on coaching opened new doors for me in every meeting. With Suzan as coach, I discovered new approaches to onboarding BIPOC committee members, strategizing public advocacy efforts, and strengthening my internal capacity in our ongoing racial equity work. Suzan’s coaching style was a perfect fit, and made for truly enjoyable sessions!” Karen Ristuben, Program Director, Creative County Initiative, Essex County Community Foundation
“I have never had a professional coach before and the experience was life-changing. My coach was incisive and also challenged me in all the right ways. I came out of our sessions with tools that I will be able to use throughout my career and I can’t thank her or NAS enough for this experience.” Roberta Pereira, Client, Producing Director, The Playwrights Realm
“Working with Suzan was hugely impactful. When we started the process, I was coming out of a toxic Board situation, and heading into a pandemic. I was also dealing with some challenges with my staff. Since January 2020, I have recruited four new (fantastic) Board members, replaced my bookkeeper with a Finance Manager that is helping take a huge load off of me, started the hiring process for a new Development team member, and best of all…stayed in the black. All while maintaining sanity. The thinking tools Suzan provided and the perspective she encouraged are a large part of that.” Chandra Stephens-Albright, Managing Director, Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company
