Brandon Salutes has new chair
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Barry Cooper has been named as the new chair of Brandon Salutes.
Longtime Federated and Heritage Co-op employee and manager, and former president of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, Cooper said “it’s a great opportunity” to take on the role.
“I think it’s the right time to get involved. There’s so much going on at the base, and we have a military that’s being deployed on a regular basis,” Cooper said.
Barry Cooper (Submitted)
“We have a lot of families — military families — and troops close by, and it’s a great opportunity for the City of Brandon to work with the community of Shilo and support our troops.”
Brandon Salutes was formed in 2004 and works to build connections between CFB Shilo, Brandon and the Rural Municipality of Cornwallis.
“The goal is to increase the understanding of how the military fits into both the economy of our city, but also the culture of our city,” he said. “There’s no shortage of opportunities for us to build on that.”
Cooper said people in the past took for granted that the military base is so close to the city. Making sure Shilo is “appreciated” by the two municipalities and the Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an important part of the organization.
“It’s very important that … the forces at Shilo feel supported by the City of Brandon,” he said. “I also think it’s really important for Brandon to understand how important having our troops in Shilo is.”
Cooper had been retired for four months before being asked to take on the new role. He said he is “excited” about it.
Brandon Salutes’ current initiatives include:
• Salute recognition to military and civilian members whose actions contribute to the committee’s mission statement.
“It’s very important that … the forces at Shilo feel supported by the City of Brandon.”– new chair of Brandon Salutes, Barry Cooper
• Ensuring deployed soldiers are acknowledged and supported while on deployment through small gestures like a letter from home.
• Promoting discounts offered by the local business community to military members and their families.
Cooper’s first day was Friday. He took over from Matt Bolley, who became chair of Brandon Salutes in 2013.
» alambert@brandonsun.com