County Commission | The Magazine October 2018 | Page 19

FROM THE COVER
Top ACCA Honor Goes to Cooper
T
Cooper’s management,
his year, ACCA bestowed
administrative
and leadership skills
its highest honor upon John
have been essential to the success
Cooper in recognition of his
of this vast, fast-paced and complex
exceptional leadership in his role as
director of the Alabama Department initiative. He chaired the ATRIP
Advisory Committee — a seven-
of Transportation.
member panel where elected officials
Cooper and Ed Austin
were in the majority — and there he
represented ALDOT at the ACCA
convention, making a presentation
about the Alabama Transportation
Rehabilitation and Improvement
Program (ATRIP) during a general
session. But before they could make
their exit, the director was called back
to the podium.
“The collaboration and
cooperation between counties and
ALDOT have never been better
| JOHN COOPER |
than during ATRIP,” said ACCA
Executive Director Sonny Brasfield.
Director, Alabama Department
“As director, you set the tone and the
of Transportation
pace for this massive undertaking
that has had a tremendous impact
on every corner of the state. On
behalf of the 67 counties, I’d like
to express our deepest gratitude.”
The response from local
governments was overwhelming,
and it quickly became apparent
that the need was greater than
anticipated. There was no shortage
of compelling reasons to fund this
or that project, whether it was a
heavily traveled thoroughfare, a
worn-out bridge causing miles
of detours for school buses or a
vital route connecting lower-tier
automotive suppliers.
When the remaining projects
are finalized, ATRIP is expected
to be a $1.2 billion investment in
local infrastructure. Of that, more
than $700 million has gone into
county roads and bridges. For
John Cooper (left), director of the Alabama Department of
perspective from the local level,
Transportation, accepted the Outstanding Contribution to
many counties completed 15-20
County Government Award from ACCA Executive Director
years’ worth of work in less than
Sonny Brasfield.
five years.
2018 Outstanding
Contribution to
County Government
Award
built consensus, so the committee
could set eligibility parameters,
review more than a thousand eligible
projects and recommend projects for
funding. Final project selections were
made by the governor.
He also mobilized staff
throughout ALDOT to expedite
ATRIP projects and established a
new unit within the agency — the
Innovative Programs Bureau — to
oversee ATRIP and provide technical
support to the advisory committee. In
addition, Cooper was an important
voice at the Statehouse when
legislation was necessary to create
the Rural Assistance Match Program
(RAMP), which made it possible
for many counties to participate
in ATRIP.
Cooper entered public service
in 2011, bringing his management
expertise to bear on Alabama’s
roads and bridges at the state and
local level. He had retired a few
years earlier as chief executive
officer of Avocent Corporation,
a global provider of information
technology infrastructure
management based in Huntsville.
During his private sector
career, he also held the positions
of chief financial officer and
corporate vice president, as well as
partner in large accounting firms.
He holds bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in accounting from The
University of Alabama.
The award for Outstanding
Contribution to County
Government is given each year to
someone who has not only made
significant contributions of time,
talent and energy to better county
government in Alabama but also
gone beyond the call of duty
to make a difference for all 67
counties. n
COUNTY COMMISSION | 19