Joseph Seman-Graves is an experienced community planning and development manager specializing in environmentally sustainable solutions focusing on emerging clean energy technologies. He has developed community-wide planning strategies in urban and rural settings and is skilled in project management, policy analysis, grant writing, coalition building, and public speaking.
Seman-Graves holds a graduate degree in urban and regional planning from the University at Albany, with advanced graduate certificates in geographic information systems (GIS) & spatial analysis and urban policy, focusing on area-wide brownfield remediation strategies.
Seman-Graves previously served as a construction project manager in Seattle, Washington, as a natural resource planner with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and as a GIS project manager with the Seattle Trails Alliance and Climate Action Associates of New York.
Seman-Graves spearheaded the development of a groundbreaking floating solar demonstration project, making history as the country’s first municipally owned and operated initiative. This project is crucial in Cohoes’ efforts to decarbonize historic city-owned buildings and achieve 100% renewable energy usage for governmental operations.
Seman-Graves’s achievements include securing $35 million in grant funding, identifying $14 million in energy savings over 20 years, and completing $7.47 million in capital projects for the City of Cohoes. He has been featured in articles by the National Renewable Energy Lab, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and the Associated Press.
Seman-Graves serves on various county and state boards, including vice chair of the Capital District Transportation Committee’s Planning Committee and Albany County Land Bank board member. He collaborates across stakeholders to achieve clean energy, climate and economic resiliency, housing, and transportation goals. His dedication to sustainable innovation and fiscal responsibility significantly enhances community resiliency and sustainability.