Donna Cooper

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

Cooper worked for Good Schools Pennsylvania, an advocacy organization for public schools.

In 2003, the political website PoliticsPA named Cooper one of the 50 most powerful individuals in Pennsylvania politics. She was also called one of the "smartest staffers" in 2004 by the same website. She was also named one of the state's "Most Politically Powerful Women."

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."

In November 2010, Cooper joined the Center for American Progress as a senior policy fellow on their economic policy team.

In 2013, Cooper joined Children First PA (formerly Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY)) as their Executive Director. She's set to retire at the end of 2025 to make way for a new generation of leaders.