Donna Cooper

Donna Cooper
Known for	Member of Governor's cabinet

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

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

^ "Donna Cooper (PA)". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Pennsylvania's Smartest Staffers and Operatives". PoliticsPA. 2004. Archived from the original on April 5, 2004.
^ ^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.
^ ^a ^b "GOVERNOR RENDELL NAMES COOPER SECRETARY OF POLICY AND PLANNING" (Press release). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. October 2004.
^ "Donna Cooper (PA)". Vote Smart. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010.
^ "Power 50, 2003". PoliticsPA. PoliticsPA. 2003. Archived from the original on April 17, 2004.
^ "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women". PoliticsPA. 2004. Archived from the original on February 9, 2004.
^ "Cooper Joins CAP as a Senior Policy Fellow".

Cabinet of Governor Ed Rendell (2003–2011)

Cabinet
Secretary of Community and Economic Development	Dennis Yablonsky (2003–2008) George Cornelius (2009–2011)
Secretary of Aging	Nora Dowd Eisenhower (2003–2008) John Michael Hall (2009–2011)
Insurance Commissioner	Diane Koken (2003–2007) Joel Ario (2007–2011)
Secretary of Corrections	Jeffrey A. Beard (2003–2011)
Secretary of Transportation	Allen Biehler (2003–2011)
Secretary of the Commonwealth	Pedro Cortés (2003–2010) Basil L. Merenda (2010–2011)
Secretary of General Services	Don Cunningham (2003–2005) James Creedon (2005–2011)
Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources	Michael DiBerardinis (2003–2009)
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director	David Sanko (2003–2004) Adrian R. King (2005) James R. Joseph (2005–2007) Robert P. French (2007–2011)
Secretary of Health	Calvin B. Johnson (2003–2008) Everette James (2008–2011)
Secretary of Banking	A. William Schenck (2003–2006) Steven Kaplan (2007–2011)
Secretary of Environmental Protection	Kathleen McGinty (2003–2008) John Hanger (2009–2011)
State Police Commissioner	Jeffrey B. Miller (2003–2008) Frank Pawlowski (2008–2011)
Secretary of Public Welfare	Estelle Richman (2003–2011)
Secretary of Labor & Industry	Stephen Schmerin (2003–2008) Sandi Vito (2009–2011)
Secretary of Agriculture	Dennis C. Wolff (2003–2009) Russell Redding (2009–2011)
Secretary of Revenue	Gregory Fajt (2003–2007) Tom Wolf (2007–2008) Stephen Stetler (2009)
Adjutant General of Military & Veterans Affairs	William B. Lynch (2003–2004) Jessica L. Wright (2004–2011)
Secretary of Administration	Robert S. Barnett (2003–2004) Michael Masch (2004–2005) Joe Martz (2005–2007) Naomi Wyatt (2007–2010) Christian Soura (2010–2011)
Secretary of Education	Vicki Phillips (2003–2004) Francis Barnes (2004–2005) Gerald Zahorchak (2006–2011)

Executive Officers
Chief of Staff	John Estey (2003–2007) Gregory Fajt (2007–2009) Steve Crawford (2009–2011)
Director of the Office of Health Care Reform	Rosemarie Greco (2003–2008)
Secretary of Planning & Policy	Donna Cooper (2004–2010) Ian Rosenblum (2010–2011)
Secretary of Legislative Affairs	Steve Crawford (2003–2009) Colleen Kopp (2009–2011)
Secretary of the Budget	Michael Masch (2003–2008) Mary Soderberg (2008–2011)
Inspector General	Donald Patterson (2003–2011)
General Counsel	Leslie Anne Miller (2003–2005) Barbara Adams (2005–2011)