Jessica Cogan Millman is the Executive Director of the Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation. The mission of the Soderberg Foundation is to enhance access to quality health services and economic empowerment opportunities by boosting the quality of life for all people with a specific emphasis on improving the lives of women.

Jessica is an expert and leader in urban planning and environmentally sustainable development and known as a passionate and energetic organizer for the public good. Jessica is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and the School Safety Committee of the Skaneateles School Board, Chair of the Skaneateles Lake Association Education and Outreach Committee, and a member of the Skaneateles Music Guild. In addition, she has served on numerous committees including the Town of Skaneateles Planning Board.

Jessica has extensive experience working at all levels of government and in the non-profit arena. Through the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Green Neighborhoods Program, Jessica worked with communities around the country to design, plan, and catalyze the building of model, neighborhood-scale development projects that combine equity, environmental justice, green stormwater infrastructure, efficient transportation options, green building, public health practices, smart growth, and new urbanism.

Jessica served as the Planning Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization dedicated to the adoption of sound planning policies around the Washington region. Jessica has held many other positions including: Deputy Director of the Smart Growth Leadership Institute at Smart Growth America (where she ran a technical assistance grant program); Chief of Staff for the Governor’s Office of Smart Growth in Maryland (where she helped directed the State budget towards the Governor’s top environmental priorities); and a variety of grant-making positions at the United States Environmental Protection Agency.