Community Leader

the new social

FEATURING MIKE COOPER,

PRESIDENT OF ST. TAMMANY PARISH

STORY BY LIESEL SCHMIDT

When Mike Cooper took on the role of St. Tammany Parish President at the beginning of 2020, he could never have foreseen the events that the nation would soon face. Like any good leader, however, he was ready to meet whatever challenges came his way, ever mindful of the impact his decisions would have on the parish under his watch.

As a nation, we’ve been stalled by COVID-19 and the many ways it has devastated us—whether emotionally, physically, or financially. We’ve been cut off from one another as we practice social distancing, and for such a social community as St. Tammany Parish, the past months have been like a shadow cast over our vibrant spirit. Fortunately, we are working our way back to one another as the community is opening up again; and we look forward to becoming socially active once again. Naturally, safety is paramount, and Cooper is deeply dedicated to leading the community in his care to a new normal that still allows St. Tammany to thrive. “Social events are part of who we are here in St. Tammany,” he says. “How they will change going forward remains to be seen, but we do know that things will be different. The new norm for social events will be like so many other facets of our lives, and we will adapt and adjust as the situation warrants with the health of our citizens and the health of our economy as our top priorities.”

- MIKE COOPER

Shaping it to thrive is incredibly important to Cooper, and he has clear plans for strengthening the parish he has sworn to lead and protect. “My primary role in keeping our parish strong is to lead us forward through times of opportunity as well as through times of challenge,” he says. “We have seen many challenges since I was sworn in; and in those challenges, we’ve also seen many opportunities to grow, adapt, come together, and exercise the innate resiliency at St. Tammany’s core. I will continue to implement my key initiatives: rebuilding trust between Parish Government and St. Tammany citizens, increasing accessibility to elected leaders so that citizens can voice their concerns, streamlining services to increase efficiencies in Parish Government to reduce operating costs, and partnering with local and state leaders on issues that impact citizens including infrastructure and economic development.”

“Our social gatherings are how we celebrate, mourn, and lift each other up in times of need."

For a vibrant and active community like St. Tammany Parish, one of the issues impacting its citizens is the cancellation of the social events that usually keep its calendar filled and many of its organizations funded. “Many of these social events are organized and planned by our local non-profits and social organizations,“ Cooper explains. “Our social gatherings are how we celebrate, mourn, and lift each other up in times of need. More than that, these events are another recovery milestone. The cancellation of these events has resulted in loss of revenue, which is essential for supporting so many great causes. This is why I continue to ask everyone to take personal responsibility and do your part to slow the spread of the virus. We each have the choice to either detract from our progress or to contribute to our recovery. Let’s all choose to move toward recovery for the benefit of our communities.”

As we all look toward a future that is still uncertain, we hold fast to the faith that we will once again be able to gather together—even if a little bit differently.

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