Scott Cooper is a father, a husband, a son, an engaged citizen, a Marine Corps veteran, and a proud teammate in efforts to build community, shore up our institutions, and find ways to do good. He spent 20 years in the Marine Corps, serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the EA-6B aircraft and as a forward air controller. He deployed five times to Iraq, twice to Afghanistan, and once to the Far East, concluding his career commanding a squadron and serving as the speechwriter to the head of Marine Corps aviation. 

After retirement, Scott joined Human Rights First, leading their national security advocacy work. Much of that effort focused on refugees, specifically the Special Immigrant Visa program that helps our wartime allies in Iraq and Afghanistan to find safety in America. He also founded Veterans for American Ideals, a grass-roots, community-based group of veterans working to bridge divides and regain a shared sense of national community. He serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs for Peraton, a national security and technology company. He and his wife, Maggie, split their time between Washington, DC, and Rixeyville, VA.