Meet the Staff: Dave Cooley

Dave Cooley started at Family Service of RI back in 1990, when the agency had about 50 employees and just a few properties.

These days we have 300+ employees and a good number of properties, including additional group homes for abused children, our South Providence office, and  Mount Pleasant Academy. Dave played a key role in opening all these properties, and on a daily basis he and his team make sure the heat works, the lights are on, the roof doesn't leak, and so much more.

Maybe that’s why his day often begins at 7 a.m., and he’s on-call all weekend. His official title is “operations/project manager,” but to many he’s “Super Dave.”

But--despite this demanding schedule, he’s never too busy to help someone in need. 

 “I try to hold on to my ‘yesterdays,’” he said. “The way I do that is to help somebody every day, maybe even just holding the door. Chances are they’ll come back some day and say thank you. That’s nice.”

He no doubt reflects the spirit of his late grandfather, a community organizer who has a school named after him.

Nobody embodies the spirit of Family Service of Rhode Island more than Dave Cooley. He’s a treasure not only for the agency, but for the state as a whole.

Wherever you go you bump into people who are fans of his. He’s one of the most liked and respected people in Rhode Island.

--Stephen L. Hug