news-hero-image
News
Press release: Beth Osborne announced as President and CEO of Smart Growth America

By Smart Growth America, October 21, 2025

The Smart Growth America Board of Directors today announced that Beth Osborne has been appointed as the organization’s President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Osborne brings nearly three decades of experience in smart growth policy and implementation to the role. Before becoming the President and CEO, she served as Vice President of Transportation and Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America, where she led the organization’s transportation work, including as Director of Transportation for America. She also previously served as SGA’s Policy Director from 2003 to 2004.

“Beth has been a driving force behind Smart Growth America’s impact for years, and on behalf of the Board and staff, I am excited to welcome her as the next President and CEO of the organization,” said Madeline Fraser Cook, Chair of Smart Growth America’s Board of Directors. “As we celebrate Smart Growth America’s 25th anniversary, I am confident that Beth is the right person to lead us into the future.

“Beth’s extensive experience, spanning local, state, and federal contexts, provides her with a nuanced understanding of how policy choices shape outcomes on the ground. That perspective equips her with the tools to connect the dots across land use, transportation, and economic development, identify barriers to the outcomes we aim to achieve, and translate complex challenges into results-oriented solutions that communities can replicate,” continued Fraser Cook.

“I am honored to step into the role of President and CEO at Smart Growth America,” said Beth Osborne. “At a time when the nation is facing a housing affordability crisis and Congress is developing its multi-year surface transportation bill, SGA is well-positioned to ensure this is done in a way that strengthens local economies, makes efficient use of public resources, and helps every community—urban, suburban, and rural—grow stronger and more resilient. I am energized by this opportunity to work with our talented staff to advance our mission, making transportation safer, housing more affordable, and communities more vibrant and sustainable.”

Prior to her return to Smart Growth America, Osborne held senior positions at the U.S. Department of Transportation as Acting Assistant Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy. In these roles, she managed the TIGER Discretionary Grant program (now known as BUILD), led the Secretary’s livability initiative, and oversaw the implementation of the 2012 surface transportation law. Earlier in her career, she served as an advisor on transportation, trade, and labor policy for Senator Tom Carper (DE) and legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her public service in the U.S. House of Representatives, working for Representatives Ron Klink (PA) and Brian Baird (WA).

Across these experiences, Osborne has worked closely with decision-makers at every level of government, giving her a deep understanding not only of what cities and states need to be successful but also how government programs often fall short in supporting their goals.

During her time at USDOT, Osborne helped communities access and implement federal transportation funding and led efforts to reform the programs to better achieve their goals. Seeing firsthand how status quo practices limited change, she joined Smart Growth America and Transportation for America to advocate for a more accountable and effective federal transportation program. At SGA, she has worked extensively with state DOTs, further refining her understanding of the tools, resources, and direction states and local communities needed to deliver safer and more effective transportation systems.

These experiences have translated into significant wins for Smart Growth America, including the inclusion of transit-oriented development and a dedicated rail title in the FAST Act; identifying and rallying support for transit funding during the COVID pandemic; her clarion call for no new money for the federal surface transportation program until there is accountability to the taxpayer for delivering on the stated goals of safety, fixing crumbling infrastructure, and better connecting people to jobs and essential services; and helping redefine what community reconnection projects look like through the Reconnecting Communities Institute, and Smart Growth America’s Community Connectors program, which supports small and mid-sized communities nationwide.

Related News

Upcoming public events: Join us!

View event schedule
image
logo
1350 I St NW Suite 425 Washington, DC 20005
[email protected]

Subscribe to our newsletter

Livable places. Healthy people. Shared prosperity.

© 2025 Smart Growth America. All rights reserved

Accessibility