Cooper Coleman LLC

About Us

Cooper Coleman is a full-service recruiting and consulting firm partnering exclusively with nonprofit organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions to drive meaningful growth. We move organizations forward by placing the right leaders in the right roles at the right time, and we help to strengthen management and fundraising capacity to amplify their mission and impact.

We work with organizations of all sizes locally, nationally, and globally. Our practical, actionable, strategic approach helps our partner organizations achieve durable solutions and sustainable growth.

We represent our partners as if we are a member of their team—with passion, integrity, and a deep understanding of their challenges and opportunities. We intuitively know what makes the work they do unique and essential.

We are an LGBTQ+ owned business that embraces demographic, experiential, sexual, and cultural inclusion. We believe everyone is better when leadership reflects the diversity of its people and when an organization reflects the diversity of those it serves.

Cooper Coleman LLC

Our Team

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The Team Moving You Forward!
An ever-growing cadre of incredibly talented professionals extends the capacity and capabilities of our team. They include recruiters and organizational development experts, frontline fundraisers, planned giving experts, communicators, marketers, designers—each of whom has been hand-selected from our previous work experience and meets our rigorous expectations for performance, expertise, and continued professional development. Meet a few of them below.

Cooper Coleman LLC

Solutions And Expertise

We take extraordinary measures to preserve dignity in the recruiting experience. Recognizing there is a person behind each resume, we treat each candidate with humanity, clarity, and respect—as the assets they are to our sector, the third-largest driver of the U.S. economy.

The right leaders in the right roles are essential for success. The most successful organizations do not settle on their leaders, they strategically and meaningfully choose each one.

Recruiting the best candidates can be protracted and time-consuming. For that reason, we do the heavy lifting to find your ideal candidate, so you can focus on other priorities. We help organizations assess their unique needs to build a comprehensive profile of the professionals they require. We leverage our extensive network of passive and active candidates throughout the sector to place the right leaders in the roles most essential to your success.

Solutions
  • Advisory Services
  • Culture Shaping
  • Executive Coaching
  • Executive Search
  • Interim
  • Leadership Consulting
  • Leadership Develop.
  • Mgmt. Consulting
  • Org. Chart Mapping
  • Succession Planning
Industries
  • Associations
  • Colleges/Universities
  • Cultural Arts
  • Education
  • Foundations
  • K-12
  • Non-Profit
Functions
  • Board/Governance
  • Business Development
  • CEO/President
  • Development
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • General Management
  • GM/Operations
  • Human Resources
  • Marketing & Sales

Cooper Coleman LLC

News Briefings

Cooper Coleman Recruits CFO for East Coast Zoological Foundation

Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has recruited David Lamadrid as the new CFO of East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF), home of the Brevard Zoo and the upcoming Bowen Aquarium. This follows a national search led by Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman. “David is a thoughtful, values-driven leader who understands how to build strong financial systems

San Diego Pride Retains Cooper Coleman to Lead Executive Director Search

Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has been called in by San Diego Pride to lead in its search for a new executive director. J. Michael Durnil is leading the assignment. The executive director serves as the senior staff member of San Diego Pride, providing strategic leadership, operational oversight, and external representation. This role requires a dynamic leader who can

Cooper Coleman Seeking CFO for the East Coast Zoological Foundation

Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has again been retained by the East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF), home of the Brevard Zoo and the upcoming Bowen Aquarium, to lead its search for a new CFO. “We’re honored to continue our work with ECZF’s CEO and board of directors to support its ambitious growth and vision,” said Johnny Cooper,

Cooper Coleman Recruits COO for East Coast Zoological Foundation

Following a nationwide search, Chicago-based Cooper Coleman LLC has placed Anthony Rivera as chief operating officer of East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF). The search was led by Johnny Cooper, founder and CEO of Cooper Coleman, and vice president of executive search, Kathy Kraushar. “Anthony brings a remarkable ability to blend strategic vision with operational excellence,” said Ms.

Cooper Coleman LLC

Press Releases

Cooper Coleman Completes National Search for Fund for a Safer Future; Board Appoints Rob Wilcox as President + CEO

CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC today announced the successful completion of a national search for the inaugural President + Chief Executive Officer of Fund for a Safer Future (FSF). The search concluded with the FSF Board’s appointment of Rob Wilcox, a leader in gun violence prevention policy and philanthropy. Led by Johnny Cooper, Founder

Cooper Coleman Places Chief Financial Officer at East Coast Zoological Foundation

CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC, a nationally recognized executive search firm partnering exclusively with nonprofit and social impact organizations, is pleased to announce that David Lamadrid has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of the East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF) following a national search led by Johnny Cooper, Founder + CEO of Cooper Coleman. This

Fund for a Safer Future Retains Cooper Coleman LLC to Lead National President and CEO Search

CHICAGO, IL – Fund for a Safer Future (FSF), the nation’s leading gun violence prevention funding collaborative, has engaged Cooper Coleman LLC to lead the search for its next President and Chief Executive Officer. Founded in 2011, FSF is a donor collaborative of more than 35 members that has awarded over $27 million in direct

Cooper Coleman Expands Partnership with East Coast Zoological Foundation to Recruit Next CFO

CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC, a nationally recognized executive search firm specializing in nonprofit and social impact organizations, is proud to continue its partnership with the East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF), home of the Brevard Zoo and the upcoming Bowen Aquarium, to lead the search for its next Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This new

Cooper Coleman Places Director of Development for Paws Chicago

CHICAGO, IL – Cooper Coleman LLC, a nationally recognized executive search firm serving nonprofit and social impact organizations, is pleased to share that Denise Ashurst has been appointed Director of Development at PAWS Chicago, one of the nation’s leading no-kill animal welfare organizations. Ashurst brings more than a decade of nonprofit fundraising experience to her

Cooper Coleman LLC

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