Dr. Irvin “PeDro” Cohen Joins LISC Jacksonville as New Executive Director

Dr. Irvin “PeDro” Cohen, a proud native of Jacksonville, has joined LISC Jacksonville as executive director. Dr. Cohen brings with him nearly two decades of community development experience and a deeply rooted passion for lifting up our city’s most vulnerable residents to achieve a more prosperous quality of life.

“All of my work has been really focused on the neighborhoods that LISC supports,” Cohen told the Jacksonville Business Journal on Dec. 4. “Not only have I spent the last 15, almost 16, years of my professional career working in those communities, but I live, work, play, eat and sleep there, too. So, the work of LISC for me is not just what I do professionally, but it’s very personal as well.”

Dr. Cohen was previously vice president of operations for the First Coast YMCA where he led the development of the $4 million dollar Johnson YMCA Teen Center among other notable accomplishments. Prior to that, Dr. Cohen led the City’s New Town Success Zone, providing comprehensive social and educational programs and services to children in the neighborhood.

“I think what [LISC] does well, at least from my vantage point, is to really connect with those communities that may have long been disenfranchised. I want to make sure that we do more of that,” Cohen told the JBJ when discussing his plans for the future.

Dr. Cohen also recently provided his outlook on the community development industry for the coming year in the Jax Daily Record’s 2021 Economic Forecast, accessible here.

Read more about Dr. Cohen’s background here and access his bio here.