Cooper Foundation Elects Michelle Suarez to Board of Trustees

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Lincoln, Neb. — In January 2024 Michelle Suarez joined the Cooper Foundation Board of Trustees. President Victoria Grasso said, “Michelle brings deep knowledge of our community and a long history of engagement in education, community development, and many other areas which will greatly add to our work.”

Ms. Suarez served children and families in the Lincoln Public Schools for 34 years as a teacher and elementary school principal. She became the first Early Childhood Developer for Prosper Lincoln’s initiative (now Lincoln Littles), which works to increase cross-sector initiatives and resources to advocate for and improve early-childhood development.

She has served on several local and state boards including Woods Charitable Fund, Nebraska Appleseed, Nebraska State College System, and Food Bank of Lincoln. In addition, she served on the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission and the South of Downtown Coalition Steering Committee. In 2023 she was appointed to the Lincoln City Council to fill Jane Raybould’s seat in District 3 in southwest Lincoln.

The Cooper Foundation, founded in 1934, has granted over $29 million in support of the arts, civic and community engagement, community improvement, education, environment, humanities, and human services. For more information visit the Cooper Foundation website at: www.cooperfoundation.org.