Jeff Cogen
Jeffrey Scott Cogen (born January 14, 1962) is an American businessman, lawyer, and former politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. Since 2016, he has been Executive Director of Impact NW, a social service and anti-poverty organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon. He served as chairman of the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners from 2010 to 2013. Early life. Jeff Cogen was born on an American military base in Germany and grew up in Miami, Florida, with his parents and brother. In high school, Cogen was a member of the debate team and earned the title of Top  Individual Speaker at the Florida State Debate Championship. Cogen attended Brown University, where he received a B.A. degree in Political Science. He then earned a J.D. degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Early career. Cogen practiced law for four years in San Francisco, California, until relocating to Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Lisa in 1992. There, they and some friends started Portland's first certified organic bakery, the Portland Pretzel Company. Cogen was president of the small company, which in early 1996 had eleven other employees. Political career. Cogen served as communications director for the Multnomah Commission on  Children and Families. He later joined the board for Hands on Greater Portland, a nonprofit that connects volunteers with initiatives in their community, where he was elected board president. Cogen entered Portland politics by joining former Multnomah County Chair Beverly Stein's staff in 1999. Cogen then went to Portland city hall, and in 2003 was named chief of staff to Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman. In 2006, Cogen was elected to the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners as Commissioner for District 2, representing North and Northeast Portland. In March 2010, then-Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler resigned from his  role on the Board of County Commissioners to step into the position of Oregon State Treasurer, to which he was appointed after the death of incumbent Oregon state treasurer Ben Westlund. Soon afterward, the board chose Cogen as Multnomah County Chair, effective April 1, to complete the remainder of Wheeler's term. In May 2010, Cogen was elected to a four-year term as Multnomah County Chair and sworn in on January 6, 2011. Projects and initiatives. During his time on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners, Cogen has overseen the following efforts: According to the Multnomah County website, "The  Health Department's analysis found that babies and young children are more vulnerable to the effects of Bisphenol A. Disruption of an infant's hormonal system can affect their development, putting them at risk for behavioral problems, breast and prostate cancer and a variety of other issues. 2013 controversy and resignation. In 2013, Cogen admitted to an extramarital affair with a policy advisor in the Multnomah County Health Department following public allegations. The policy advisor resigned under pressure from the county health department for having a conflict of interest. For some weeks, he rejected calls for him to resign, which  included a July 24 vote by his four fellow county commissioners. "I deserve a chance for the facts to come out," he told the media. However, on September 6, 2013, he announced his intention to resign, effective ten days later. His final day in office was September 16. He was succeeded as county chair by his chief of staff, Marissa Madrigal, who was sworn-in on September 17, 2013. Post-political work. In June 2016, Cogen was named executive director of Impact NW, a social service and anti-poverty organization headquartered in Portland. He began working in the position on  July 1, 2016. In February 2020, Cogen filed his candidacy with the Oregon Secretary of State to run in the 2020 Democratic primary to succeed retiring state Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer in Oregon's 46th House district. Personal life. As of 2011, Cogen was living in Northeast Portland with his wife, Lisa and their two children. He enjoys reading science fiction novels and is an avid fan of live music, especially the Grateful Dead. In July 2017, Cogen suffered a stroke that was described as moderate.