Community with Cooper

Before I knew the words “kinship care,” I knew what it meant to have somewhere safe to go.

During difficult seasons of my childhood, my grandmother and great-grandmother provided safe, stable, and loving homes where I could simply be a child.

Today, I understand just how much that mattered.

As National Kinship Care Month comes to a close, I honor every family member who steps in, makes room, and reminds a child: You are safe. You are loved. You belong.

My village mattered then, and it still shapes how I serve my community today. ❤️

Community. Leadership. Service. Impact. 💜

I am honored to be recognized as a 2026 Women Worth Watching® in Leadership Award recipient by Profiles in Leadership Journal.

I remain committed to showing up, serving well, strengthening communities, and using every opportunity I receive to make a positive impact.

Grateful for the recognition and even more grateful for the journey. 💜

I’m grateful to share some exciting news with my community. I have been elected Chairperson of the DBHDD Statewide Leadership Council.

I’m thankful for the confidence of my fellow leaders and especially grateful to have been nominated by the current Chair, seconded by the current Secretary, and unanimously supported by those present.

I will continue serving as Chair of the DBHDD Region 3 Advisory Council and Chair of Priority 1, Youth Mental Health and Wellness, while stepping into this new statewide leadership role.

For me, community has always been about more than where we live. It is about listening to people, making sure their voices are heard, building partnerships, and working together toward stronger communities.

I’m honored to continue serving Georgia and excited for what we can accomplish together. ❤️

Sometimes learning takes you somewhere unexpected. 🐎💙

Years ago, I completed the Stable Moments Mentor Orientation, learning how equine experiences can support children and youth impacted by foster care, trauma, and instability.

Today, I got in the saddle myself! Experiences with horses can help young people build trust, confidence, connection, and emotional regulation, so I wanted to experience a little of what that can feel like firsthand.

For me, community work means continuing to learn, experience, and better understand the people we serve.

Sometimes getting closer to the work means getting on the horse. 🐎

Capes on. Superpowers activated. 🦸🏾‍♀️

Today, I had the opportunity to spend time with some amazing Terrific Kids and remind them of the superpowers they already carry: kindness, courage, honesty, responsibility, perseverance, and helping others.

The cape is fun, but the real superpower is what’s inside. ❤️

Their challenge was simple: use one of your superpowers to help someone today.

I’m always grateful for opportunities to encourage young people and remind them that they have the power to make a positive difference in their schools and communities.

Community happens when we bring the right people to the table and use our voices for those who need them most. 💙

Yesterday, I had the privilege of joining fellow child welfare leaders for the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta’s Protecting Atlanta’s Foster Children panel.

We talked about the experiences of children in foster care, the importance of consistent advocacy, and how community organizations can work together to support children and families.

One message I shared continues to resonate with me: Children do not experience foster care as a system. They experience it as their life.

Grateful to the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta for creating space for this conversation and to my fellow panelists and community leaders who remain committed to making a difference.

This is what community looks like. Connection. Conversation. Advocacy. Action.

Community with Cooper 💛

Community is showing up through service. ❤️🖤🤍

Proud to serve as a member of the Junior League of Atlanta and kick off the new League year with Handmade by JLA, packing hygiene kits to support a local child advocacy organization.

Community in action. ❤️🖤🤍

Community means showing up for children in every season. 💙 Protecting children means working to prevent abuse and neglect, but it also means investing in their future, encouraging their ideas, and helping them see what is possible.

Today, I had the opportunity to do just that at Banneker High School, coaching 11th grade students as they developed their own business ideas.

Protecting their childhood matters. Preparing them for their future matters too.

Today’s Community with Cooper is about continuing to learn so I can continue to serve.

I’m attending the 2026 Georgia Conference on Child Abuse Prevention, connecting with professionals committed to protecting children, strengthening families, and building healthier communities.

Whether I’m leading, serving, advocating, or simply listening, I believe there is always something new to learn and something valuable to bring back to the community.

Keep learning. Keep connecting. Keep serving. 💜

There’s no Community with Cooper without my Dad. 💜

Because long before there was a page called Community with Cooper, I had a front row seat to what community actually looks like.

My Dad speaks to everybody. 😂 He knows everybody, and if he doesn’t know you yet, give him a few minutes. He has never met a stranger. He can start a conversation just about anywhere, find common ground with almost anyone, and somehow walk away knowing your name, where you’re from, and probably somebody you both know. 😂

That’s community.

It’s connection. It’s conversation. It’s remembering people. It’s making people feel seen. It’s being able to move through different spaces and still simply be yourself.

So today, Community with Cooper celebrates one of the people who helped shape the “Cooper” behind the community.

Happy 67th Birthday to my too cool Dad. 🎉🎂💜 Still cool. Still wise. Still talking to everybody. Still collecting people everywhere he goes. 😂 And still showing me that community starts with how you treat people.

Happy Birthday, Dad. 💜