John Cooper
John Cooper is a program director and research associate at MDC, Inc. where he directs a $2.5 million FEMA-supported effort to understand barriers to increased emergency awareness and preparedness in marginalized communities. He has written about the extent to which local disaster planning programs account for the conditions, concerns, and capacities of disadvantaged folks and the key elements of high quality plans. Before joining MDC, he spent time with the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management as a planning specialist and grant coordinator advising local governments on the preparation of plans for compliance with state and federal mitigation planning requirements.
Cooper is currently a member of the advisory board for the Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence—Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management. He has training in economics and planning from Texas A&M University and earned his PhD in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
MDC, Inc. is a nonprofit founded in 1967 and based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. MDC's mission is to help organizations and communities close the gaps separating people from opportunity. Visit the MDC Web site for more information and to see Cooper's work.