Cecilia Kushner is the Executive Vice President for Planning at the New York City Economic Development Corporation where she leads large multidisciplinary teams to deliver on some of the most ambitious and complex urban planning and development projects in New York City. As part of her role, Cecilia oversees $1 billion of active projects geared towards delivering infrastructure and amenities and improving quality of life for New Yorkers across the five Boroughs. With 15 years of experience in urban planning, development and resiliency in New York City, London and Paris, Cecilia has dedicated her career to executing significant initiatives that seek to improve global cities. Prior to joining the NYCEDC in May 2015, Cecilia served as the Deputy Director for Climate Resilience at the New York City Department of City Planning where she formulated and advocated for some of the first resiliency land use policies to adapt the 520 miles of New York City coastline. She has also previously served as Director of Special Initiatives at NYCDCP, where her responsibilities included managing all external speaking engagements for the Commissioner and leading change management strategies to revamp the agency’s processes. Other past positions include serving as the NYCDCP lead project manager for the Coney Island rezoning, policy advisor for English Heritage, the leading historic preservation organization in the UK, and urban planner for the City of Paris. Cecilia received her bachelor’s degree from La Sorbonne and holds a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from The Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, and a master’s degree in City Planning from Hunter College, where she has taught planning as an adjunct.