The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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January 10, 2013

Mike Cooper to represent Okla. at ADC meeting in San Antonio

By Jeff Mullin, Senior Writer Enid News and Eagle

ENID, Okla. — Enid military liaison Mike Cooper will represent Oklahoma at the Association of Defense Communities meeting next week in San Antonio.

ADC represents 200 communities, states and regions with a significant military presence. Its mission is to unite the interests of communities, state governments, the private sector and the military on a variety of issues.

The professional development forum, dubbed Installation Innovation, will bring together defense community and military leaders from across the country.

The forum will cover topics like installation management, service member and military family transition, public-private partnerships, energy security, land use planning and sharing services between military installations and communities.

But the real value of such meetings, Cooper said, is the opportunity to interact with high-ranking members of military leadership.

“It puts you in direct contact with leadership,” he said. “We have developed relationships with leaders who are making decisions about the future of the military.”

During a meeting last summer, Cooper was able to meet with outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Cooper was elected vice president of the organization in 2012. In 2014 he will become the group’s president. Cooper, who also serves as chairman of Oklahoma Strategic Military Planning Commission, has been involved in ADC since 1993.

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