Donna Cooper was Pennsylvania Secretary of Planning and Policy and was a member of the cabinet of Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.[1]

Donna Cooper
Known forMember of Governor's cabinet

Cooper worked for Good Schools Pennsylvania, an advocacy organization for public schools.[2] She first began working for Ed Rendell as deputy mayor for Policy and Planning during his tenure as Mayor of Philadelphia.[2][3] When he was elected Governor of Pennsylvania she was appointed Director of the Governor’s Policy Office.[4] In 2004, the office was renamed the Governor’s Office of Policy and Planning and was elevated to a cabinet-level position.[4][5]

In 2003, the political website PoliticsPA named Cooper one of the 50 most powerful individuals in Pennsylvania politics.[6] She was also called one of the "smartest staffers" in 2004 by the same website.[2] She was also named one of the state's "Most Politically Powerful Women."[7]

In a 2009 article, The Philadelphia Inquirer said that Cooper was one of the "chief architects of state policy and a key player behind the crafting of a state budget" and that "she wields tremendous power and is a natural lightning rod for criticism."[3]

In November 2010, Cooper joined the Center for American Progress as a senior policy fellow on their economic policy team.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Donna Cooper (PA)". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Pennsylvania's Smartest Staffers and Operatives". PoliticsPA. 2004. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004.
  3. ^ a b Couloumbis, Angela (July 19, 2009). "Rendell's 'pit bull at the front door'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "GOVERNOR RENDELL NAMES COOPER SECRETARY OF POLICY AND PLANNING" (Press release). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. October 2004.
  5. ^ "Donna Cooper (PA)". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010.
  6. ^ "Power 50, 2003". PoliticsPA. PoliticsPA. 2003. Archived from the original on April 17, 2004.
  7. ^ "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women". PoliticsPA. 2004. Archived from the original on February 9, 2004.
  8. ^ "Cooper Joins CAP as a Senior Policy Fellow".