About

Dana Cope has been working in the political realm for many years. His political career actually began while he was still attending Southern Methodist University (SMU) and decided to start his own business. Cope & Associates Political Consultants was launched in 1988 in Washington, DC, and it operated as a strategic political consultant firm for four years. During that time, Dana Cope oversaw fundraising, phone banks, and press relations for candidates like Harry Payne, Bob Kerrey, and Bruce Sundlun.

Dana Cope graduated from SMU in 1991, and one year later he left Washington, DC to accept the position of Director of Governmental Affairs with the North Carolina Department of Labor. With the North Carolina Department of Labor, Dana Cope managed senior staff in the Raleigh office, advised the Commissioner of Labor on financial and policy matters, and directed government related activities before the US Congress and North Carolina General Assembly.

In 2000 Dana Cope transitioned to the State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) to serve as the Executive Director. From the SEANC’s Raleigh office, Dana Cope fights for North Carolina state employees and retirees to protect and improve their benefits and pay. So far in his time with the SEANC, Dana Cope has protected premium-free healthcare, secured the largest back-to-back pay increases in 2005 and 2006, and affiliated SEANC with the State Employees International Union (SEIU).