With more than 30 years of progressive leadership in real estate operations and executive management, Susan Maxwell serves as Chief Operating Officer and Principal at Zocalo Community Development. In this role, she oversees the company’s day-to-day operations, implements strategic initiatives aligned with the CEO’s vision, and drives operational excellence across all teams.
Susan plays a key strategic role in Zocalo’s development process, integrating operational insight into project design and execution. She leads the firm’s initiatives in interior design, common area programming, branding, and marketing for new developments, while also serving as managing partner for operations. Her influence extends across acquisition strategy, development planning, and the ongoing evolution of Zocalo’s property management platform—one she built to reflect entrepreneurial thinking, service excellence, and a culture of accountability.
Known for her balance of innovation, analytical rigor, creativity, and leadership, Susan has been recognized as a pioneer in multifamily operations within the Metro Denver real estate market. Her accolades include being named a finalist for the Apartment Association of Metro Denver’s Tributes Awards for Most Outstanding Executive (2011 and 2018), a finalist for the Denver Business Journal’s Outstanding Women in Business Awards (2019), and the winner of the 2019 DBJ C-Suite Awards in the Chief Operating Officer category.
Susan is a past Secretary and Treasurer of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver and holds the Certified Apartment Portfolio Supervisor (CAPS®) designation through the National Apartment Association. Prior to joining Zocalo, she served as Regional Vice President for Campus Advantage and Regional Property Manager for Greystar Real Estate Partners, leading large-scale operations and new developments across multiple markets.