[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 88 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING MR. JERRY COOPER ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT

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                         HON. BARRY LOUDERMILK

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 2021

  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend Jerry 
Cooper on the occasion of his retirement after twenty years of service 
as the County Manager in Cherokee County, Georgia.
  Throughout his lengthy career in public service, Jerry has promoted 
fiscal responsibility, ethical leadership, and superior service. Under 
his leadership as County Manager, Cherokee County has seen tremendous 
growth, transforming from a distant exurb of Atlanta into a thriving 
community to live, work, and play. In 2008, his leadership was put to 
the test as the `great recession' upended small communities, like 
Cherokee County, across the country. Jerry met the emerging challenges 
with an unwavering resolve, and Cherokee County improved upon its pre-
recession debt rating to an S&P AA+ rating at a time when many other 
communities were still reeling from the crisis. He developed a 
professional code of ethics for public employees, enhanced local 
emergency services, and improved public facilities, all while 
maintaining an estimated $106 million in tax savings for Cherokee 
County taxpayers over the course of his career.
  In addition to his role as County Manager, Jerry has served on the 
boards of the Malon D. Mimms Boys & Girls Club, Reinhardt University, 
the Rotary Club, and the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce. He served 
as President of the Cherokee Child Advocacy Council, the Cherokee 
Educational Foundation, and was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. 
Unity Award from Allen Temple Church.
  Prior to his career in public leadership, Jerry served in the United 
States Navy as a submariner aboard the U.S.S. Sam Rayburn. After 
traveling the world in service to our country, the Arkansas native 
returned home and obtained a Masters of Public Administration from the 
J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of 
Arkansas. Later he settled in Georgia, where he has spent much of his 
career life. He and his wife Sherry plan to enter this new phase of 
life, taking time to enjoy the community they have worked tirelessly to 
build over the past two decades.
  On behalf of the 11th District of Georgia, and the United States 
House of Representatives, I earnestly congratulate Mr. Cooper on his 
retirement, and thank him for his years of public service.

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