Gregory Cooper

Greg recently retired after 45 years of distinguished government service at both the local and Federal level. He served in the U. S. Marine Corps for 4 years, including service in Viet Nam, and then began a 29 year law enforcement career. Greg began his career with the Santa Ana Police Department (rising to the rank of Area Commander) where he was engaged early in the development and implementation of their Community Oriented Policing (COP) model that was subsequently recognized throughout California and the nation. In 1992 Greg was selected as the Chief of Police in Sanger, California. He successfully transitioned the department into a respected small agency and engaged a diverse community in the COP philosophy of reducing crime and increasing community satisfaction.

During this time, the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) often recruited Greg to participate in working groups for issues related to SWAT, COP, and ICS. Greg was recognized by both the Santa Ana City Council and the California State Legislature for his leadership, innovative accomplishments, and successful law enforcement career.

In 1996 Greg was hired by the U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), in Washington, D. C. One year later he was promoted to Assistant Director and assumed command of the new Grant Monitoring Division, responsible for the oversight of thousands of grants to State, Local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies.

After September 11, 2001, Greg looked for a new challenge and less than a year later was selected by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a Branch Chief to lead their national Safety and Security programs. Seven months later FEMA was one of 22 Federal agencies that became the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Greg was appointed as the FEMA Chief Security Officer and was instrumental in the development of uniform DHS security policies and procedures and their implementation across FEMA. He held a Top Secret National Security clearance and was deputized as a Special Deputy U. S. Marshal.

Greg earned his Masters Degree in Public Administration at the University of Southern California and attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia. He and his wife Susan reside in Tustin, Orange County, California.