Author: Dave Cooley

Dave Cooley made a career of Journalism and Chamber of Commerce management. He served chambers in Greer, SC, Hendersonville, NC, Greenville, SC, Spartanburg, SC, Jacksonville, FL, Memphis, TN, Dallas, TX and as head of his professional society in Washington, DC. Cooley retired to Hendersonville, NC (his hometown) at the end of 1995. Since retirement, he worked in several foreign countries, teaching chamber and association executives the “American way of volunteer organization management.” and performed accreditation overviews for the U.S. Chamber. Dave and brother Art started a business that published FIFTY YEARS WITH THE VAGABONDS, a history of the Vagabond Players of Flat Rock Playhouse fame and a coffee-table book for the Hendersonville Country Club. FORTUNE MAGAZINE featured Cooley in its 1998 retirement special report saying, “His paycheck is his pep pill!” and showing him holding a goat at Carl Sandburg's home. The cut line read: “No old goat, he, Dave Cooley retired to North Carolina where he started four new careers.”