Kathy Cooper, who took heartbreak and turned it into a passion for traffic safety, was honored this week for her work in making Minnesota roads safer.
Cooper, who has served as Rice County’s Safe Roads Coalition coordinator since 2007, received the Kathy Swanson Outstanding Service Award from Toward Zero Deaths, a program of the state Department of Public Safety.
According to the TZD website, the award “recognizes an individual who has shown exceptional leadership in efforts to improve traffic safety in Minnesota, build partnerships, and mentor others in the field. This individual will also have demonstrated a long-term passion, dedication and commitment to reducing the number of deaths and injuries resulting from crashes on Minnesota roads.”
Cooper’s dedication to traffic safety stems from the death of her 15-year-old daughter, Meghan, who was an unbelted passenger killed in an impaireddriver crash on June 9, 1999. Cooper was a pivotal force in Minnesota’s battle to reduce unbelted fatalities, spending countless hours working side-by-side with researchers, traffic safety professionals and law enforcement, and meeting with legislators at the capitol, advocating for and assisting with efforts to institute the primary seat belt law — which took effect June 9, 2009, the 10-year anniversary of Meghan’s death.
Her passion comes in large part from her daughter’s story, but she also cares deeply about the community
and its residents.
She helped establish the county’s Safe Roads Coalition as well as Rice County’s JOYRIDE sober cab program which runs annual during Northfield’s Defeat of Jesse James Days. She also assists with coordinating mock crashes, impact speakers, and safety fairs at area high schools and has partnered with law enforcement to coordinate and host traffic safety education efforts at the Rice County Fair.
“Kathy is a tireless advocate for traffic safety. She is passionate about traffic safety, extremely dedicated, well respected in the community, and is always encouraging us forward to consider what we need to do to help move toward the goal of ZERO deaths,” said Deb Purfeerst, Rice County Safe Roads Coalition member and Public Health Director.
“She’s our motivator and biggest supporter, always reminding us that our work as law enforcement and as a coalition – telling drivers to buckle up, drive the speed limit and put away distractions -- makes a real difference in people’s lives,” said Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas. “For that, we’re all very grateful.”
