Brandy Cooper
Brandy Cooper is a dedicated youth development leader and program strategist based in Columbus, Georgia, with more than two decades of experience shaping impactful out-of-school-time (OST) programs. As the Director of Children and Youth Programs at the YMCA of Metropolitan Columbus, she leads with empathy, creativity, and a deep sense of responsibility to both the children and staff she serves. Her work centers on building safe, consistent, and nurturing environments where young people can thrive, while also developing scalable systems that strengthen program quality and community impact.
Brandy’s passion for youth development is deeply personal. Having grown up in foster care before being adopted into a family that also supported foster children, she developed an early understanding of the importance of stability, care, and connection. At just 14 years old, she began working in a church daycare, where she discovered her lifelong calling to support and mentor children. Over the years, she has built a career grounded in hands-on leadership, relationship-building, and a commitment to meeting children as “small humans with big emotions,” ensuring they feel seen, valued, and supported.
In her current role, Brandy balances strategic oversight with direct engagement, managing budgets, staff development, and program operations while remaining closely connected to the youth she serves. During the school year, she designs enriching activities and lesson plans, and in the summer, she oversees three camps serving approximately 600 children across multiple sites. A strong advocate for equity and opportunity, Brandy is committed to transforming afterschool programs from reactive spaces into intentional, high-impact environments that foster growth, resilience, and long-term success for every child.
• Columbus State University- Bachelor's
• GSAN After School Champions Advocacy
• Gears Changemakers
• Quality Rated Advisory Committee
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my passion and just knowing what I lived through as a child, and knowing who was there for me as a child. That pushed me to want to be that for somebody else. I wanted to be a safe place. I wanted to change the world, and when you come from a smallish town in Georgia, you know, everybody wants to be an actor or some kind of big star and want to change the world that way, but I get to change the world one kid at a time. Seeing the passion that my mom had for kids, even from infants on up, teaching them the ways of the world and how to do things, it just inspired me. I've always loved kids, and even on their worst days, there's still some good in there.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is that the day that you stop loving what you do is the day you step back, you take a break, and refocus. Because every day is important, but you have to be there for yourself as well.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me in my work and personal life are passion for what I do and being present for the children I serve, recognizing that they are small humans with big emotions. In my personal life, I have two kids of my own, two boys that are in middle school, and when I am not at work with everyone else's kids, I'm at home with my own. We just enjoy having a great time going on adventures, watching movies and hanging out and not having to deal with the day-to-day stress. I believe that the day you stop loving what you do is the day you need to step back and refocus, because every day is important, but you have to be there for yourself as well.