Governor Cooper’s Year in Photos: 2018
Despite setbacks like Hurricane Florence, Governor Cooper’s administration made meaningful progress throughout 2018. Here’s a look at some of the photos that best capture the year.
January 4, 2018 — The year got off to a cold start, as a winter storm blanketed parts of central and eastern North Carolina. Governor Cooper visited the Johnston County DOT Maintenance Yard to thank the unsung heroes who help keep our roads safe.
January 12, 2018 — Governor Cooper speaks at the State Employees Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance Program at Raleigh First Baptist Church: “We are living in extraordinary times. Too often we see leaders trying to divide us instead of trying to unite us, calling people names instead of calling for justice.”
January 20, 2018 — Aggie Pride at the Mansion! Governor Cooper welcomed the North Carolina A&T football team after an undefeated season and a 21–14 win over Grambling State University in the Celebration Bowl.
February 7, 2018 — Governor Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein meet with President Trump’s Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to discuss the state’s opposition to offshore drilling.
February 13, 2018 — Gov. Cooper meets with students and stakeholders at Vernon Malone College and Career Academy to highlight the core principles of his job readiness initiative, NC Job Ready.
March 6, 2018 — Workplace-learning programs like the one at Siemens in Charlotte are a great way to better prepare our workforce for jobs of the future. Gov. Cooper toured the plant and met with some of the high school apprentices to learn more about the program.
March 21, 2018 — “People with Down syndrome make a difference in their communities every day. As governor, I want to encourage better inclusion of people with Down syndrome in every community and in every sector.” — Roy, signing a Down Syndrome Awareness Month proclamation at the Executive Mansion. Here he takes a photo with one of the invited guests.
March 30, 2018 — Governor Cooper hosted the first ever Passover Seder at the Executive Residence.
April 4, 2018 — Governor Cooper joins others in singing a hymn at Williston Middle School to mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination.
April 16, 2018 — Tornadoes ripped through Guilford and Rockingham counties, destroying homes and knocking out power for more than 85,000 residents.
April 18, 2018 — Governor Cooper consoles a woman in Greensboro whose home suffered severe damage during the tornado.
May 3, 2018 — Governor Cooper visited Mitchell Hardware in Historic New Bern to celebrate Small Business Week. North Carolina is home to more than 870,000 small businesses that employ 1.6 million people.
May 16, 2018 — Governor Cooper joined the nearly 20,000 teachers who marched on Raleigh demanding better pay and more respect from the state legislature.
May 31, 2018 — Gov. Cooper looks back at Chimney Rock, after torrential rains and mudslides caused damage to the State Park and many parts of western North Carolina.
June 22, 2018 — Signing bills with Ben.
July 9, 2018 — “You are inspiring. You inspire me and you inspire many others around you so keep at it.” — Governor Cooper, after meeting with student leaders who organized March For Our Lives marches across North Carolina.
July 22, 2018 — Say Cheese! Lunch at Downtown Cafe and Soda Shoppe in Edenton.
July 28, 2018 — Governor Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper at the checkout counter at Stone’s Education Superstore. For the second year in a row, the Governor and the First Lady went shopping for school supplies to donate to the Governor’s Annual School Supply Drive.
August 16, 2018 — Champs! Gov. Cooper welcomed the NC Courage to the Executive Residence (and made time for a photo with the Tar Heels on the team).
September 12, 2018 — A FEMA staging location sets up in Kinston as state and federal partners coordinate before Hurricane Florence. In the days before the storm, Governor Cooper asked for a federal disaster declaration on behalf of North Carolina to ensure the state can get federal aid as soon as possible. This early coordination was credited with saving countless lives.
September 13, 2018 — As Hurricane Florence barreled toward North Carolina, Governor Cooper received multiple updates a day from Emergency Management, North Carolina National Guard, State Highway Patrol, DOT, and others. Gov. Cooper declared a State of Emergency to help farmers get crops and livestock in ahead of the storm, and to allow response and utility vehicles to get where needed quickly.
September 16, 2018 — As Florence stalled over North Carolina’s coast, shelters across the state filled up with displaced people. Over the next two weeks, Gov. Cooper would visit shelters to speak with people who couldn’t return home.
September 16, 2018 — With Wilmington and other parts of the state inaccessible due to flooding, Governor Cooper used a USCG C-130 to view damage from above.
September 17, 2018 — Gov. Cooper visits New Bern to assess damage and speak with residents in the city hit hard by Florence.
September 18, 2018 — Governor Cooper leads a call with FEMA Administrator Brock Long to discuss the local, state, and federal response to the storm.
September 28, 2018 — Governor Cooper surveys damage in downtown Pollocksville.
October 9, 2018 — Volunteer and faith-based groups like Baptists on Mission put their faith into action and play an invaluable role in helping our state recover from disasters.
October 12, 2018 — With North Carolina still reeling from Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael brought the threat of more rain, wind and flooding to the state. The storm left nearly half a million North Carolinians without power. Multiple daily briefings at the state’s Emergency Operations Center became a way of life for the Governor and his team.
October 12, 2018 —Once Michael passed, Gov. Cooper visited hard-hit areas in the Triad and western North Carolina. Here, Governor Cooper thanks first responders in Winston Salem.
October 18, 2018 — Gov. Cooper helps volunteer groups with a “muck and gut” on a Robeson County home heavily damaged by Hurricane Florence.
October 29, 2018 — “The freedom to live and worship without fear is essential, and yesterday’s act of violence strikes at the very heart of our country’s greatness.”- Governor Cooper, speaking at the Tree of Life interfaith memorial vigil at Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh, N.C.
November 14, 2018 — Governor Cooper traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with North Carolina’s Congressional Delegation to discuss federal assistance for recovery from Hurricane Florence. Prior to the full meeting, Gov. Cooper and Rep. David Price speak privately in a holding room.
November 19, 2018 — Prior to Thanksgiving, Governor Cooper pardoned two turkeys, Sir Walter and Caroline, at the Executive Mansion.
November 20, 2018 — Gov. Cooper teams up with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina to hand out turkeys and fixins at the Tabernacle-God Community Church in Wilson.
December 6, 2018 — #VikingStrong! After witnessing the devastation Hurricane Florence brought to White Oak High School in Onslow County, Gov. Cooper made sure to make a return visit once the students were back in school.
December 6, 2018 — Governor Cooper and the first family light up the tree at the annual North Carolina Christmas Tree Lighting at the Capitol.
December 11, 2018 — A winter storm came early this season, blanketing much of the state with snow — up to three feet in some areas — and turning roads into sheets of ice. Gov. Cooper stopped by the Raleigh DOT Maintenance Yard to thank the state employees for their work clearing the roads.
December 13, 2018 — Governor Cooper visits a community meeting in Pender County to discuss hurricane recovery.
December 18, 2018 — The media surrounds Gov. Cooper after an announcement that the Charlotte tech company AvidXchange will hire over 1,200 people over the next five years. Gov. Cooper’s administration worked hard to bring more than 19,000 good paying jobs to North Carolina this year.
