Jeffrey Scott Cogen 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. Multnomah County is Oregon's most populous county, with approximately 742,000 residents. The cities of Portland, Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Troutdale and Wood Village are all located within Multnomah County.
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:
The opening of the Gateway Center for Domestic Violence Services, a "one-stop center" for domestic violence services in 2010.
Creation of the Multnomah County CROPS Farm: in 2009, Cogen's office launched the Multnomah County CROPS Farm, a piece of county-owned land used to grow fresh produce for the Oregon Food Bank. The surplus Multnomah County property in Troutdale, Oregon, was converted into a two-acre farm and has since grown vegetables for people accessing the Oregon Food Bank.
Sale restriction of reusable beverage containers containing Bisphenol A in Multnomah County: in October 2011, Multnomah County's Board of Health adopted a policy brought forward by Cogen that restricted the sale of all reusable beverage containers that contain Bisphenol A, a chemical used in certain hard plastic containers like baby bottles, sippy cups and water bottles within Multnomah County.
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.
Change in policy on immigration holds in Multnomah County jails: in April 2013, Multnomah County Sheriff Dan Staton adopted a change in policy developed in partnership between Cogen's office and Multnomah County Sheriff's Office to stop complying with federal immigration holds for low-level offenders in Multnomah County jails.
Coal export health impact study: in September 2012, Cogen directed the Multnomah County Health Department to conduct a study on the impact of coal export by rail through Multnomah County on residents' health. The call for the study was brought on by proposals for new coal export terminals in Oregon and Washington.
Creation of a firearms safety ordinance: in April 2013, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a firearms safety ordinance co-sponsored by Chair Cogen and District 1 Multnomah County Commissioner, Deborah Kafoury.
Opening of the Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Center : Cogen coordinated with the City of Portland, the State of Oregon and Central City Concern to open the Mental Health Crisis Assessment and Treatment Center in June 2011. The center is located at 55 N.E Grand Ave. in Portland, Oregon.
Sale of the Morrison Bridgehead: in June 2012, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of a resolution brought forward by Chair Cogen proposing the $10.4 million sale of the county-owned Morrison Bridgehead site.
Creation of a library district in Multnomah County: the Multnomah County Library is Oregon's largest public library, serving nearly one-fifth of the state's population. It is the second busiest library in the United States.
Executive rule requiring gender-neutral bathrooms in new and updated Multnomah County buildings: On June 11, 2013, Cogen signed an executive rule requiring that all new and remodeled Multnomah County-owned buildings have gender-neutral bathrooms installed, in addition to traditional gender-specific bathrooms.
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.
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.
