Jenny Raitt is the Executive Director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG), where she directs the agency’s work across a wide range of policy and service areas and leads engagement with elected and appointed officials at the federal, state, and local levels.
Prior to joining NMCOG in 2022, Jenny served as Director of Planning and Community Development for the Town of Arlington. She has held numerous leadership positions over her nearly 30-year career, supporting local and regional organizations in housing, community development, and urban planning. From 2008 to 2016, she was also an adjunct professor in Boston University’s Graduate Program in City Planning and Urban Affairs.
Jenny represents NMCOG on the Lowell Development and Financial Corporation, Governor Maura Healey's Embodied Carbon Intergovernmental Coordinating Council (ECICC), and Governor Healey's Unlocking Housing Production Commission. Jenny also volunteers as chair of the American Planning Association (APA) Legislative and Policy Steering Committee. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) and B’nai B’rith Housing. She is also an elected Town Meeting Member in the Town of Brookline.
An experienced speaker and trainer, Jenny regularly presents on topics including housing policy, regional planning, municipal governance, and evidence-based planning practices, sharing her expertise with professional and civic audiences throughout Massachusetts.
Jenny has authored and contributed to numerous publications on housing policy, community development, regional planning, and municipal governance. Her work includes research reports, policy guides, and best practice manuals aimed at supporting local and regional decision-making. She has also published articles in professional journals and contributed thought leadership pieces through the American Planning Association and other national organizations.
She earned a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management and Urban Policy from The New School and a Bachelor of Arts with an individual concentration in Urban and Documentary Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.