Susan Howell

Susan Howell serves as Procurement Manager for the City of Apopka, overseeing the strategic acquisition of goods and services critical to municipal infrastructure and public services. In this role, she ensures compliance with state and local procurement regulations while advancing the agency’s mission to modernize transportation networks, enhance water and sewer systems, and support community development through efficient, transparent contracting. Her portfolio is exclusively focused on landscaping services, where she manages solicitations, evaluates bids, and administers performance-based contracts to maintain public spaces, green infrastructure, and municipal grounds. As a secondary procurement contact, she supports the broader procurement team in executing compliant, value-driven acquisitions aligned with municipal sustainability goals. While no specific contractor relationships are currently documented, Susan collaborates with a broad base of local and regional vendors specializing in horticulture, irrigation, turf management, and landscape maintenance. Her procurement process emphasizes competitive bidding, vendor pre-qualification, and performance metrics to ensure high-quality, reliable service delivery. She fosters long-term vendor partnerships grounded in accountability, timely delivery, and adherence to environmental and safety standards, encouraging consistent performance through contract incentives and oversight. Susan’s procurement activity reflects a 100% preference for open competition with no set-asides, indicating a focus on market-wide competition rather than socioeconomic preference programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB. This approach prioritizes cost-effectiveness and vendor capacity over targeted socioeconomic categories, while still ensuring full compliance with Florida’s public procurement statutes and fair opportunity requirements. Her primary NAICS specialization is 561730 (Landscaping Services), demonstrating deep expertise in the procurement of groundskeeping, tree care, erosion control, irrigation system installation, and seasonal floral displays. She has developed a nuanced understanding of industry-specific performance standards, equipment requirements, and environmental best practices, positioning her as a technical authority in municipal landscape contracting within the Florida public sector.