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C. Scott Cooper Named Director of Engagement and Communications

October 12, 2009—

C. Scott Cooper will join the Bush Foundation on October 19 as its director of engagement and communications, responsible for building, sustaining and deploying the Foundation’s communication, brand and engagement strategies. In this role, Cooper will report directly to Bush Foundation President Peter C. Hutchinson. His appointment fills out the senior leadership team at the Foundation.

“C. Scott brings an energy and passion for community engagement to the Foundation,” said Hutchinson. “None of our goals can be achieved without the engagement of the thousands of people across hundreds of communities in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and in the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. C. Scott has the experience and skills to engage the leaders, educators, government officials and community members across those diverse communities, not to mention his extensive experience in leading strategic planning for nonprofit organizations and in implementing successful grassroots communications campaigns.”

Cooper has two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, public affairs advocacy, and political and community organizing. He served on Paul Wellstone’s U.S. Senate staff from 1991 to 1996, and recently returned to the Senate to serve as senior advisor to Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Prior to that, he was the outreach director for President Obama’s campaign in Minnesota, with responsibility for designing and managing outreach programs for key constituency groups and elected officials, and overseeing major media events. In 2006, Cooper co-founded TakeAction Minnesota, the product of the merger of Progressive Minnesota and the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action, where he served as executive director from 2000 to 2006. He also serves as adjunct faculty at both the Humphrey Institute and the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s masters in advocacy and political leadership program, teaching classes in negotiation and leadership.

“I have always had great respect for the Foundation’s leadership development work, and have directly benefitted from this work through my Bush Leadership Fellowship experience,” said Cooper. “I have been privileged to know and work with many activist leaders whose community service was greatly enhanced by the investment of the Bush Foundation.

“I am excited about the important and ambitious goals the Foundation has set for the coming years and am thrilled to be part of the leadership team that will help engage community members in solving problems and making a difference across the states and Native nations we serve,” he continued.

Cooper has a BA from Macalester College and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In addition to being a 2007 Bush Leadership Fellow, he also completed a Humphrey Policy Fellowship in 2005-2006.

The Bush Foundation was established in 1953 by 3M executive Archibald Bush and his wife Edyth. The Foundation strives to be a catalyst to shape vibrant communities in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the states’ geography by investing in courageous and effective leadership that significantly strengthens and improves the well-being of people in these areas.

In 2009, the Foundation is pursuing its Goals for a Decade—to develop courageous leaders and engage entire communities in solving problems, to support the self-determination of Native nations and to increase educational achievement.