City of OKC
Home MenuCouncilman James Cooper
Ward 2
James Fennimore Cooper (April 1, 1982) took the oath of office in April 2019 to begin his first term on the Oklahoma City Council. He served formerly in Oklahoma City Public Schools, specifically as an AVID middle school college preparation teacher and—after taking office— taught as an adjunct English professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. Currently, Cooper teaches English and Film Studies as the Artist in Residence at Oklahoma City University, where he serves on OCU’s Arts and Sciences Advisory Board. A published writer, he resides in OKC’s historic Paseo Arts District with his cat, Marion.
Councilman Cooper also serves as a trustee on the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA) Board of Trustees.
Cooper was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma where his mother, a retired registered nurse, still lives. He received a bachelor's degree in Film Studies with a minor in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma. He began his teaching career at Oklahoma State University as a graduate assistant, where the university’s English Department recognized him for Teaching Excellence in Composition. He holds an MA in English at OSU and Creative Writing MFA from Oklahoma City University.
While pursuing his MA, Cooper received an award from The Society of Professional Journalists for his column in OSU’s O’Collegian concerning the need for federal hate crimes legislation.
James’ essay on the 2013 tornado that devastated Moore, “An Oklahoma Perspective on Tornado Alley,” appeared in the Huffington Post.
The Oklahoma Gazette published Cooper’s 2011 two-part article on the history of Oklahoma City’s LGBTQ community, “From Closet to Community.” He spent more than a year researching the story.
During his first election, The New York Times profiled his campaign. In 2019, Freedom Oklahoma, a statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, designated Cooper “Lawmaker of the Year,” and Generation Citizen—a national civics education advocacy group—honored him as a “Civic Leader Change Maker.”
Unanimously, Council adopted a resolution Cooper authored regarding six public safety priorities and law enforcement reforms, including the upcoming implementation of an alternative response to mental health calls and hiring street outreach teams with mental health professionals to respond to homelessness.
Advocate Magazine, America’s oldest & largest LGBTQ publication, named him one of its “Champions of Pride” in June 2020.
OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences awarded him its Rising Star Award in 2021; the same year, he was Keynote Speaker for University of Central Oklahoma’s College of Liberal Arts Student Symposium.
Homelessness Resources
- Video Recording from Ward 2 Meet-Up on Homelessness Nov. 1, 2023
- Presentation from Ward 2 Meet-Up on Homelessness Nov. 1, 2023
- A Better Way
- Mental Health Association of Oklahoma
Public Safety Initiatives and Law Enforcement Task Force Work
Better Streets, Safer City Projects
MAPS 4
Economic Development Opportunities
Ward 2 Street Enhancement Projects
- 39th Street
- The community-led work with the 39th Street District started in 2012 with City Planning and Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid. Between 2012 and the summer of 2022, the 39th St District Association, Inc. was established by the property owners and businesses in the area. The Association became a member of the City's Commercial District Revitalization Program. Through the encouragement of Councilperson Cooper and Better Streets, Safer City, the 39th St. stakeholders worked with City staff, Johnson & Associates and Connelly Construction to put a lot of love into this historic area. There are a few finishing touches to be made through the fall of 2022, but in the meantime, the improvements are ready to be enjoyed by all. They include resurfacing, new sidewalks and crossings, new lighting, landscaping and colorful array of benches, trash receptacles and bike racks.
- Johnson & Associates’ planning team wins 2021 Outstanding Public Outreach award from APA Oklahoma Chapter.
- Project timeline (Courtesy of Johnson & Associates)
- Britton District (improvements coming soon)
- There are many hidden historic gems in our city and Britton Road is one not to miss. As one of the original Route 66 streets still intact – and once known as Old Britton Town - the stretch of Britton Road between Western and Shartel has attracted a group of local community leaders and investors whose hearts are set on the revitalization of this district. The Britton Business District, Inc. was established in 2017 and joined the City’s Commercial District Revitalization Program. Through the encouragement of Councilperson Cooper and Better Streets, Safer City, the Britton stakeholders are working with City staff to take the ideas expressed in a Preliminary Report and begin to “engineer” them. For example, what is the grade of the road, the shape of the bumpout, the connection to drainage and so on. When these things are identified, the design engineers can look at potential locations for amenities such as landscaping, planters, new lighting and wider sidewalks. Stakeholders can see how the proposed design will impact the area adjacent to their property and the Britton District overall. Having the final plans ready for construction bids is anticipated for early 2023.
- Paseo Arts District (improvements coming soon)
- The Paseo Arts District and Walker Avenue will be improved starting in 2023. The historic arts district will receive gentle improvements to its lighting, sidewalks, visibility and landscape. Connections on Walker will improve walkability and cycle safety with better lighting, sidewalks and a set of innovative rain gardens at the NW 28th and NW 29th Street intersections. The Paseo Arts Association, a member of the City's Commercial District Revitalization Program, is the steward for the Paseo Drive improvements and is working with City staff and engineers to finalize the plans.
- Uptown 23rd (improvements coming soon)
- One of the City's busiest corridors, NW 23rd between I-235 and Western is being designed for safer crossings, better lighting and wider sidewalks. This project will start in 2023 and is moving forward on plans with the Uptown stakeholders. The Uptown 23rd Association, established in 2012, is a member of the City's Commercial District Revitalization and the community steward for this project.
- Windsor District (improvements coming soon)
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Since 2010, The Windsor Area Business Group has served as a nonprofit community steward for the NW 23rd St corridor from I-44 to MacArthur, an area known as the Windsor District. Tucked into the intersection at NW 23rd and Meridian, this large median has been recently updated as a small urban oasis thanks to the joint efforts of the Windsor volunteers, the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, the City of Oklahoma City Commercial District Revitalization Program and Parks Department. More projects to improve walkability for the overall area are in the planning stages.
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In addition to the NW 23rd improvements, N Portland Avenue between 23rd and 36th will soon provide safer connectivity from the area's neighborhoods to the Will Rogers Park and Trail, through the Better Streets, Safer City funding. This project is slated for completion in 2023.
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Housing Down Payment Assistance, Housing Rehab and Neighborhood Programs
Bus Rapid Transit and BRT Construction Updates