Sunday, May 5, 2024
Karen Cooper, middle, poses with Crystal Douglass, left, and Carolanne Dunaway, right, during Leadership Granbury graduation in May.
As a community liaison for Bridgewater Memory Care, Karen Cooper is always working with people.
From participating in local events to working with families on placing a loved one in long term care, Cooper is constantly spending time with members of the community.
"I love a challenge. I love people,” she said. “All of (my jobs have been) something different in the realm of working with people; it's what I love to do.”
In a diverse background, Cooper previously served as a children’s ministry director and was recently the director of events and membership with the Granbury Chamber of Commerce — a position that ultimately led to her joining Leadership Granbury.
"I had heard of Leadership Granbury before but didn't know a lot of details about it,” she explained. “But one of the beauty parts about it was Brian Bondy, the president of the chamber, he was one of the leaders of the class, and so he was like, ‘I'd really like for you to look at participating in this,' so I got to learn a little more about it through that, and I went to some meet and greets, and met some great folks.”
Leadership Granbury is a program that creates an awareness of community resources and needs, enhances leadership skills, and helps identify future leaders, according to the website.
By investing in the community, the program allows Hood County business owners, government officials, civic leaders, healthcare providers, educators and more to participate in team building exercises and learn more about the community that they call “home.”
"The biggest takeaway from Leadership Granbury is that it was a group of 25 people, and we had community projects, so we spent time together for the class sessions," Cooper said. “But building those relationships and realizing that no matter how much any one of us would like to say, ‘We can do it all,’ we can't, but when you have such a great group of people that you're networking with, that you're working with, it just helps you remember, ‘We got to work together.’”
Cooper said she thoroughly enjoyed the class field trips, especially getting to learn about the wastewater treatment plant.
“That was one of the big things for everybody,” she said. “They were like, ‘Oh, wow. We didn't realize what all goes into this.’ It was a lot of fun just to be in that position to learn.”
She said she also enjoyed getting the opportunity to experience the inner workings of Granbury.
"From law enforcement, to education, to city government, to tourism, to the nonprofits … (In my opinion) everybody should go through Leadership Granbury so that they can learn about what it takes to make our community run,” Cooper said.
After such a positive experience at Leadership Granbury, Cooper said she has signed up to work for Junior Leadership Granbury next year.
“The networking, the camaraderie is what you take away from it, and you stay in touch with these folks,” she added. “You come out with a network of people that you know you can call them and they're there.”
Although anyone is eligible to apply or make a nomination to Leadership Granbury, the board selects a maximum of 25 qualified individuals every year.
To learn more about how to become a part of Leadership Granbury, email leadershipgranbury@gmail.com.
