Former FBI agent brings investigative skills to Litchfield Park council

I’m not afraid to ask the questions that I think are important.”

Suzanne Allen, Litchfield Park City Council member

Suzanne Allen entered Federal Bureau of Investigation training as a certified public accountant with no firearms experience.

Today, the Litchfield Park City Council member brings lessons from a decade with the bureau to a different kind of public service, where asking questions and building relationships still matter.

As a special agent in the FBI’s Phoenix Division, Allen used her accounting skills to follow the money in securities and investment fraud cases. The job also taught her how to earn the trust of the people affected.

“That’s happened to me a lot where victims are not always comfortable coming forward and admitting that they’ve been defrauded of money,” Allen said.

Her accounting background helped her investigate complex financial crimes, but becoming a special agent meant stepping into unfamiliar territory. A lengthy hiring process, including a hiring freeze, tested her patience.

Still, she was determined to pursue the opportunity.

“If I don’t do it now, I’ll regret not doing it,” she recalled thinking.

Before joining the FBI in 2012, she worked in Arizona’s General Accounting Office. Once with the bureau, she reviewed bank records, interviewed people and worked alongside forensic accountants.

Her days could include preparing for search warrants, testifying or helping another squad with an operation.

One early case she worked involved someone who defrauded fellow members of a religious organization. Allen recalled victims who had lost everything and appreciated having someone driven to hold the person accountable.

By 2021, Allen was the FBI’s private sector coordinator, building relationships with businesses and sharing information about potential threats. She said that work helped prepare her to bring people together on City Council.

Allen left the bureau after about 10 years to spend more time with her children and help her husband open The Pilot Clinic, a direct primary care and aviation medicine practice in Goodyear.

“I had a great career. I was really happy about it,” she said. “I was looking forward to the next step.”

That step eventually led her to local government. A West Valley native, Allen served on Litchfield Park’s board of freeholders before running for City Council in 2024. She was elected that year and sworn in Jan. 23, 2025.

Her investigative habits remain useful. She's not afraid to asks questions, sometimes several times, to make sure she understands an issue.

“I really feel like we are operating transparently, and that’s why I’m not afraid to ask the questions that I think are important,” she said.

Her accounting experience also informs her attention to capital improvement plans, spending priorities and the long-term consequences of financial decisions.

Looking ahead, Allen wants to support Litchfield Square’s development and help Hilltop become a destination where community partners work together. She envisions a more connected city that welcomes neighbors from across the West Valley while preserving its history and sense of community.

“I want to make sure that we keep it special,” she said.

Noah Flug
Reporter | Litchfield Park and Goodyear

nflug@iniusa.org

Community: Litchfield Park and Goodyear

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in Digital Audiences from Arizona State University

Random Fact: I only have one biological cousin.

Hobbies: Watching movies and TV, spending time with my friends, aspiring stoic.