Cooper to serve as Chamber Chair

Dr. Brett Cooper’s dedication and commitment to the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is unrivaled. This month he began serving his third term as chairman of the Chamber board. He served as board chair in 2003, 2013 and now again in 2022.

Moreover, Cooper has served for many years on the Chamber’s tourism committee, which was instrumental in several notable projects such as the Lawrence County Rail-Trail through Hoxie and Walnut Ridge and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Highway 67 projects including the establishment of Beatles Park, the Guitar Walk at Cavenaugh Park and the Beatles at the Ridge Festival.

The new board chair had high praise for the Chamber’s tourism committee and the projects the members have done.

“All of those have had a significant, positive impact on our community,” Cooper said. “They’re good examples of what the Chamber of Commerce can do for the community, bringing people together, forming a vision for the future and leading the way in making the community a better place.”

Cooper, who serves as vice president for creative services and technology, as well as special assistant to the president, at Williams Baptist University, is passionate about projects to improve the quality of life of the community.

“Amenities that make life more pleasant are good for everyone, and they make the area more attractive to businesses, too,” Cooper said. “That means encouraging development of parks and trails, improving downtown areas and commercial centers around the county, advocating for new homes and apartments to meet our growing housing demand and other such efforts.”

In addition to serving on the Chamber’s tourism and rail-trail committee, he serves on the Walnut Ridge Airport Commission, Wings of Honor Museum board, Ozark Gateway Tourism Council, and is a member of the Walnut Ridge Kiwanis Club. He is also a member and deacon at Pocahontas First Baptist Church.