Alex Cogan is the senior manager for State and Local Government Affairs at American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, Cogan worked on progressive Texas state policy issues including criminal justice, elections/voting, and mental health at the intersection of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs); this work resulted in the passage of multiple pieces of legislation. She co-authored the first report in Texas to address IDDs in the Texas criminal legal system and worked with leaders across the state to modify the jail intake process. She previously worked for the city of Austin, supporting citywide economic development initiatives. Cogan has also worked with incarcerated adults as a social worker and with youth in education, where she taught middle schoolers while living abroad in Colombia and facilitated youth empowerment groups while in Austin, Texas. She earned her master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas and bachelor’s degrees in journalism and sociology from the University of Georgia. In her free time, you can find her hiking with her dog, bouldering at the gym, or reading in the park.