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JERRY COOPER
County manager retires after 30-plus-year career in public administration. BY ERIKA NELDNER 20
AROUND CANTON | May 2021
young man from Arkansas made his way to Georgia nearly 30 years ago to pursue a career in public administration. Little did he know he would lead one of Georgia’s fastest growing counties as it transitioned from a bedroom community to a destination location, and went through a population boom and the Great Recession. After serving in the U.S. Navy and graduating from the University of Arkansas, Cherokee County Manager Jerry Cooper began his work in public administration in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1988, later relocating to Newnan, Georgia. Just a few years later, Cooper would take on a leadership position in Woodstock, before his final move to Cherokee County, where he has had a successful career as county manager. When Cooper was selected to lead Cherokee County in 2001, he never imagined it would be the job from which he retired. “Back then, I did not realize I would have the opportunity to serve as county manager for 20 years, especially considering the average tenure of a manager is seven to eight years,” Cooper said. “I have had the fortune of serving the best commissioners and employees in the country — each of us working together with community leaders to make this county a great place to live and raise children, work and play.” Over the past 20 years, Cherokee County has evolved from a quiet suburban county to a destination for quality family living, corporate relocation and entertainment. That’s due in large part to Cooper’s leadership. At the time, Cherokee County’s population was just over 141,000 people. Today, 270,000 call Cherokee home. Effective leadership allowed the county to grow responsibly, while maintaining its identity of a strong community with hospitality. Cooper was not immune to the challenges of leading a county in both good times and bad, but his leadership and fiscal responsibility allowed Cherokee to weather the Great Recession, double parks and green space, enhance fire and emergency services, achieve exceptional public safety and the lowest crime rate in the region, while lowering the tax burden on citizens to the lowest in the metro area. “Although a challenge to manage, the growth has provided us with many opportunities to make lives better for our citizens,” he said. Chairman Harry Johnston, who has served on the Board of Commissioners for many years, has witnessed Cooper’s work firsthand.
