Former Mayor of Ithaca, Alan Cohen to Address Baker Students

Alan Cohen
Alan Cohen

The Baker Program in Real Estate is pleased to welcome former Mayor Alan Cohen back to Ithaca, NY for the Distinguished Speaker Series on February 26th. Cohen’s vast experience in municipal public service and management consulting will provide unique perspectives on how city policies shape development. As Mayor, Cohen oversaw policies that led to a large expansion of development in Ithaca.

Cohen directed the day-to-day operations, programs and activities for the city of over 29,000 residents without the benefit of a City Manager, and developed policy for approval by City Council. He developed and managed an annual budget of $52 million, and supervised and coordinated 14 department heads including; Police, HR, Legal, Finance, Public Works, Fire, Youth, IT, Planning and Building. He had previously owned and ran Simeon’s on The Commons, a local landmark in the restaurant scene.

After serving as mayor, Cohen worked as a management consultant for the US-Ukraine Foundation, which consulted with 12 Ukrainian cities to provide information and training to elected and appointed city officials, NGO representatives, business owners and citizens on management, strategic planning and economic development. He also provided training to hundreds of city officials nationwide at regional training centers, and conducted assessments of city governments, made recommendations and implemented programs to develop and improve the municipal organization and local economy.

Cohen’s next move was to Florida, to serve as the City Manager of Sunny Isles Beach, where he directed the day-to-day operations, programs and activities for over 21,000 residents. He developed and managed an annual budget of $41 million, and supervised and coordinated seven department heads including; Police, HR, Finance, Public Works, Planning and Building, Cultural and Community Services and City Clerk.

In addition to this extensive work in public service, Cohen founded, and serves as President for Cohen Consulting, which provides management consulting services, specializing in strategic planning, relationship development, public relations, and funding acquisition. He work with clients in several industries, including technology, commercial real estate and the public sector, and provides interim management services (IMS) to companies while they are in the process of searching for permanent candidates.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email