Suzanne Towns is Executive Director for New York and New Jersey at Per Scholas. She leads regional strategy, partnerships, and fundraising efforts to support the organization’s mission of closing the tech skills gap by connecting learners to economic opportunity. Suzanne oversees operations and market growth across both campuses, working with employers, community organizations, government agencies, and philanthropic partners to strengthen workforce pathways and advance learner success. She collaborates with regional and national leadership to ensure alignment across strategy, performance, and operational priorities in one of Per Scholas’ largest markets.

Suzanne has more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership roles across government, nonprofit, philanthropic, and mission-driven organizations. She has designed, built, and scaled workforce and economic opportunity initiatives, developing cross-sector strategies to connect talent to opportunity. Prior to Per Scholas, she led programs focused on workforce development, inclusive economic growth, and public-private partnerships, gaining expertise in program design, policy, and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Throughout her career, Suzanne has supported the launch and implementation of initiatives totaling over $300 million. She has contributed to program frameworks, quality standards, and sector partnerships that expand access to employment and workforce development, provided technical assistance and capacity building to strengthen economic systems, and informed policy and investment strategies to create scalable, employer-aligned career pathways. Suzanne is motivated by advancing equitable economic opportunities and connecting diverse learners to high-growth careers.