'Downtown Terry' retires from Downtown Association

Just about the only person in downtown Coeur d’Alene not to comment on the career of Terry Cooper on Wednesday was Cooper himself.

Never in need of the limelight, Cooper spent most of the day meeting with business and community leaders Wednesday before retiring, this after a 16-year run building relationships as manager of the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association. But while Cooper didn’t have much to say to The Press, colleagues had plenty to say about him.

“Working with Terry has been a wonderful experience,” said Emily Boyd, events coordinator for the association. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor than Terry. He’s so open-minded. He’s always been a jolly person and a joy to work with. There’s never been a dull moment with him.”

Boyd noted Cooper’s success helping maneuver the downtown businesses through challenging economic times, including the 2008 recession and, more recently, this year’s COVID crisis.

“He’s helped a lot of small businesses start up,” Boyd said. “Terry has fostered so many relationships through the community over the years. He’s a very well-liked person, has friends in the fire department, the police department, anywhere in the city. That has also helped the downtown.”

Bill Reagan, president of The Coeur d’Alene Resort, agreed wholeheartedly, saying those relationships will remain a long-standing part of his legacy.

“The real difference he made was his sense of wanting to partner with other people and other organizations,” Reagan said. “It was Terry who wanted to partner with the Chamber of Commerce, with ignite (cda), trying to foster relationships. That’s what made a huge difference, especially compared to previous managers. That’s something we haven’t always seen here … He really brought everybody together.”

It’s that hustle to collaborate that has made Cooper a local household name, complete with his own monicker: Downtown Terry.

“For over 16 years, Terry has worked tirelessly to make downtown Coeur d’Alene the great place that it is,” Mayor Steve Widmyer said. “Through his work to create great events to his support of all downtown merchants — large or small — he has helped create a thriving downtown that’s the best in the Northwest.”

Kind words of encouragement and thanks have poured into the Downtown Association’s Facebook page since Wednesday, all expressing gratitude for Cooper’s work.

“Today’s been bittersweet,” Boyd reflected Wednesday. “He’s worked so hard, and he certainly deserves to enjoy his retirement. At the same time, all of us are really going to miss working with him. He’s leaving some big shoes to fill.”

The job of filling those shoes now falls to Boyd, who will succeed Cooper as manager of the Downtown Association. She said she’s ready for the job in no small part because of her predecessor’s tutelage.

“Something that Terry’s taught me is, it’s never been about him," she said. "I hope to live up to that. It’s never been about Terry. It’s always been about the businesses and the community he’s helped over the years. He’s always approached his job with humility. That’s just who he is.”