Governor Cooper’s Year in Photos: 2019
From fighting for public education to confronting Hurricane Dorian, here’s a look at some of the photos that best capture Governor Cooper’s 2019.
January 14, 2019 “You all should get extra credit for this!” Gov. Cooper joined Raleigh teacher NaShonda Cooke for a quick FaceTime with her students during a break at a Governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee meeting.
January 18, 2019 “The time is ALWAYS right to do right,” Gov. Cooper, speaking at the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Employees Observance Program in Raleigh, North Carolina.
February 12, 2019 Cheri Beasley made history as the first African American woman Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Here, Gov. Cooper listens to her remarks at a press conference at the Executive Mansion.
February 15, 2019 From student cooking contests hosted by the Steph and Ayesha Curry Foundation to unveiling new and improved community centers around Charlotte, NBA All-Star Weekend is about much more than just basketball.
February 18, 2019 Another barrier broken in North Carolina: For the first time in our state’s history, an African American woman serves as Poet Laureate. Congratulations Jaki Shelton Green, we’re lucky to have a poet of such talent as our laureate.
March 12, 2019 Helping hurricane-affected North Carolinians is a top priority for Gov. Cooper. While visiting Trenton to see a home being repaired through the STEP program, Gov. Cooper speaks with neighbors about the damage they experienced during Hurricane Florence.
April 9, 2019 North Carolina is known as the most military-friendly state in the country, and that’s a reputation that Gov. Cooper is working hard to uphold. That means fighting for federal funding for our military bases when they are dealing with hurricane damage. In the photo above, leaders at Camp Lejeune show Gov. Cooper the damage Hurricane Florence inflicted on the base.
April 28, 2019 Gov. Cooper proclaimed 2019 the “Year of Music” in North Carolina, so it was only right that Gov. Cooper became the first sitting Governor to attend Merlefest in Wilkesboro. Here, Gov. Cooper talks to the Avett Brothers before their set.
May 1, 2019 A sea of red flooded Raleigh for the second year in a row as teachers from across the state rallied for respect and better pay.
May 1, 2019 Ellis “Reed” Parlier and Riley Howell were killed during a shooting on the last day of classes at UNC-Charlotte. This was a tragic loss for North Carolina, but most especially for their families and friends. We will never forget them and we continue to pray for those who loved them.
May 23, 2019 Gov. Cooper finalizes Executive Order 95, providing paid parental leave to eligible state employees: “This new paid parental leave policy will give state employees more time to recover from childbirth and give their newborns the care and attention they need.”
June 12, 2019 In North Carolina half of all people who received emergency hospital care last year with an opioid overdose were uninsured. At a Medicaid roundtable in Raleigh, Gov. Cooper listens as parents share the pain of losing children to the opioid epidemic and urge state lawmakers to expand Medicaid to provide access to treatment.
June 18, 2019 One in five childcare workers in North Carolina do not have health insurance. After meeting with childcare workers at Masonboro Baptist Church in Wilmington to talk about Medicaid expansion, Gov. Cooper reads Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss to some of their students.
June 28, 2019 Surrounded by lawmakers at the Executive Mansion, Gov. Cooper announces his veto of the Republican budget. “It values corporate tax breaks over classrooms, gimmicks over guaranteed school construction and political ideology over people,” Gov. Cooper said.
July 9, 2019 Gov. Cooper visits with residents whose homes were damaged by Catawba River flooding. Just above Gov. Cooper’s head you can see a piece of yellow tape on the blue siding of the house which shows how high the water level rose during the flood.
July 22, 2019 With DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen, Attorney General Josh Stein, and family advocates looking on, Gov. Cooper signs the Opioid Epidemic Response Act into law. This will save lives as we continue to fight the opioid epidemic across North Carolina.
August 20, 2019 The paltry teacher pay raise was one of Gov. Cooper’s reasons for vetoing the Republican budget. Here, Gov. Cooper talks with teachers at Penderlea School in Pender County about the situation: “If we adopt the current budget that the legislature has, which is a 3.8 percent pay raise over two years, we’re going to fall behind other states. We need to get our teacher pay to at least the national average, and the compromise proposal that I have put forward is 8.5 percent over the next two years for teachers.”
August 28, 2019 Gov. Cooper learning about some of the virtual reality tools being used for training at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
September 4, 2019 In an all-too-familiar scene, Gov. Cooper, Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry and FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Libby Turner prepare as Hurricane Dorian tracks towards the North Carolina coast.
September 7, 2019 With damage in the foreground and background, Gov. Cooper speaks with a homeowner in Emerald Isle whose home was damage when a tornado touched down as Hurricane Dorian made its way up the coast.
September 7, 2019 As Gov. Cooper flies to Ocracoke Island to survey damage caused by Hurricane Dorian, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse stands in the background.
September 7, 2019 Alton Ballance grew up in this house on Ocracoke. He’s lived here his entire life. His mom was born inside and lived here until she died at the age of 77. The house, which was built in the 1800s, has seen its fair share of flooding over the years. But Hurricane Dorian brought floodwater 4 feet high in the house — the worst flooding in Alton’s lifetime. We’re lucky that no one was seriously injured or killed from the flooding. Rebuilding is a difficult task, but we’ll be with the people of Ocracoke every step of the way.
September 27, 2019 Gov. Cooper created the North Carolina Climate Change Interagency Council last year with Executive Order 80, which set goals for how the state should address climate change and move to a clean-energy economy. As part of that order, Gov. Cooper wants 80,000 electric vehicles on North Carolina’s roads by 2025, and he wants to lower the state’s overall carbon emissions to 40% of 2005 levels by that same year.
October 2, 2019 On a visit to the State Capitol Police station, Chief Chip Hawley presents Gov. Cooper with an honorary badge.
October 23, 2019 At a signing ceremony at the Executive Mansion, Gov. Cooper listens to advocates against domestic violence and survivors. His Executive Directive permits eligible state employees in cabinet agencies to use earned leave for “safe days,” which are necessary absences from work due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
October 24, 2019 “Who’s got next?” Gov. Cooper gears up for some fun at the North Carolina State Fair. Deep Fried Oreos were a great consolation after coming up empty handed in this squirtgun game.
October 1, 2019 We might as well give the N.C. Courage the keys to the Executive Mansion at this point. All they do is win championships! Let’s go for the three-peat next year.
November 18, 2019 It’s never too early for students to start learning about the exciting career opportunities waiting for them. Here, Gov. Cooper meets students at the North Carolina Business Committee for Education annual meeting.
November 22, 2019 After helping out at the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina before Thanksgiving, Gov. Cooper and First Lady Kristin Cooper pose with staff and volunteers.
November 23, 2019 In Wilmington for a jobs announcement, Gov. Cooper stopped in Coastal Beverage Co. to learn about their growing operation. In 2019, Gov. Cooper’s administration announced more than 21,000 new jobs in North Carolina.
December 12, 2019 Gov. Cooper and Sandra Settle share a light-hearted moment after looking at the progress made to her home in Whiteville. After two devastating hurricanes in as many years, she is finally able to return home. The NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency has made tremendous progress in 2019 in getting disaster money out to the people who need it, and the state continues to assist in the rebuilding process.
