Dave Cooley (Tennessee 1982)

Dave Cooley’s combined experience in public service and public affairs spans 30 years. He served as Deputy Governor of Tennessee during the administration of Governor Phil Bredesen, after directing the governor’s Transition Team. He also served as Chief of Staff when Bredesen was Mayor of Nashville, and was chief of staff to the Chairman of the Tennessee Public Service Commission. He is currently a principal in Cooley Public Strategies, based in Nashville.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Technological University and an M.A. from the University of West Florida’s Rayburn-Dirksen Institute for Politics. He is a 1982 Truman Scholar from Tennessee. Cooley serves on the boards of the Tennessee Tech Foundation, the Music City Bowl, and the Nashville Sports Council. He has served on the Regional Truman Scholarship Selection Committee since 1993.