EXECUTIVE COACH, SEARCH Consultant
As a former college dean and professor, a think tank president, and an independent school headmaster, John brings a broad view to the challenges of managing and leading independent schools. Most recently, he served as Headmaster of TMI--The Episcopal School of Texas in San Antonio, during which time he also served on the Board of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools. Prior to TMI, Dr. Cooper served as Head of School at Elgin Academy in Chicago and as Headmaster at Wichita Collegiate School in Kansas.
Dr. Cooper has served on the Boards of both the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States. As President of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools he represented the interests of approximately 50 schools in the Wisconsin-Illinois-Indiana region surrounding Chicago. As President of the Illinois Coalition of Nonpublic Schools (a state affiliate of the Council for American Private Education), he represented the interests of more than 1,100 schools and 250,000 students in private, parochial, and home schools in Illinois.
Before entering the world of independent schools, John served as research assistant to U.S. Ambassador Michael Novak, as a professor of philosophy and religion and academic dean of Bridgewater College (VA), and as president of a public policy think tank, the James Madison Institute (FL). John earned a B.A. and M.A. from Florida State University as well as a Ph.D. from Syracuse University.
