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Suzanne Malec-McKenna, Ph.D., has been appointed as the new director of the Cook County Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES), effective immediately. The announcement was made by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Malec-McKenna brings over 30 years of experience in climate mitigation, resilience planning, regulatory efforts, workforce development, ecological restoration, urban forest management, and industrial redevelopment. She also has a background in management and governance.
“I am pleased to have Suzanne at the helm of this critical department and look forward to working with her on behalf of our residents,” said President Preckwinkle. “Her decades of experience and dedication to public service are vital to ensuring sustainability and environmental justice throughout our County and specifically in some of our most under-resourced communities.”
Previously, Malec-McKenna spent more than 17 years at the Chicago Department of Environment, where she advanced from deputy director to commissioner. During her tenure, she oversaw programs such as Greencorps Chicago, Chicago Center for Green Technology, Green Tech University, Chicago Conservation Corps, and the Calumet Initiative. She worked on stormwater management and legislation related to air quality and soil reuse. She also led restoration projects at North Park Village Nature Center and Action H2O.
In addition to her public sector work, Malec-McKenna has 15 years of experience in nonprofit and private organizations in the Chicago area. Most recently, she was senior director in the President’s Office at the University of Illinois System where she focused on sustainability solutions using a One Health approach. In June 2025, she organized the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress in Chicago that attracted 1,700 participants from 66 countries.
Malec-McKenna’s other roles include work with Openlands to establish TreeKeepers and community gardening programs; expanding ConTextos programming into Chicago; serving as executive director for Chicago Wilderness; consulting for Audubon Great Lakes on climate outreach; working with MAAFA Redemption Project on job training; advising Chicago Community Loan Fund on climate resiliency strategies; consulting for Jasculca Terman, Quercus Consulting, Morton Arboretum, and Chicago Community Trust; and serving as Interim CEO for Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, along with a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Communication from Northwestern University.
Malec-McKenna lives in Chicago.
