Operation New Hope Welcomes Scott Suozzi as New President

Operation New Hope is excited to welcome Scott Suozzi to fill the newly created position of President of the nonprofit, home of the nationally recognized Ready4Work reentry program. He will oversee the day-to-day operations at Operation New Hope, which will allow Kevin Gay, founder and CEO to focus on fund development, policy and advocacy work. 

Originally from the New York City suburbs, Scott brings broad and seasoned leadership experience in government, the military, the legal profession, nonprofits, and higher education. 

Scott served on active duty as a Naval Officer for twenty years, retiring at the rank of Commander.  His assignments included service ashore, at sea, and overseas, including the Pentagon, The White House, Capitol Hill, deploying to Iraq with special operations forces, a legal office in Sicily, and aboard the cruiser USS GETTYSBURG based in Jacksonville, Florida.  Following his military service, Scott served as the Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives at Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School.  Most recently, he served as a member of the Executive Corps at Nonprofits First, a world class group of executives dedicated to the accreditation and capacity building of nonprofits in South Florida.

Scott is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science with Merit.  He also holds a Juris Doctor law degree from Catholic University, a Master of Arts degree in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University, a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in International Law from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a Business Law Certificate from The Wharton School. 

From June 2014 to June 2015, Scott completed an ambitious personal journey visiting all 48 of the continental United States, seven Canadian provinces, 28 national parks, and nine Presidential libraries, covering over 33,000 road miles in a Winnebago recreational vehicle (RV).  From Summer 2017 to Fall 2018, Scott embarked on another epic road trip adventure in a high-tech camper van, covering over 25,000 miles along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts of the United States and Canada, including visiting over sixty lighthouses and all twenty-one of the Spanish Missions in California. 

Scott’s personal military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), the Joint Service Achievement Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.  In addition, he was qualified as a Judge Advocate (JAG), Surface Warfare Officer (SWO), and Navy Craftmaster for patrol craft command.  He is a licensed attorney in the State of Maryland, a Member of the Maryland State Bar Association, a Hall of Fame Member of the United States Lighthouse Society, and Life Member of the Society of White House Military Aides.

We are so excited Scott has joined the Operation New Hope team! We welcome his fresh perspective to broaden the agency’s connections and expand our potential.