Terry Cooke announces retirement

Hamilton Community Foundation President and CEO Terry Cooke is set to retire after almost 15 years in the role and a 40-year career that included leadership in public, private and charitable sectors.

Cooke began his career as Provincial Director of Housing and Support Services for the Ontario March of Dimes before making a move to politics. Between 1983 and 1994, he served three terms as a Hamilton city councilor. He is best known for serving as Chairman of the Region of Hamilton-Wentworth from 1994 to 2000 and overseeing amalgamation of the City of Hamilton.

After a decade in the private sector, Cooke started in the President and CEO role at HCF in 2010 and saw it through leadership initiatives including poverty reduction, education and most recently a $50 million commitment to affordable housing.

“Terry led the Foundation through a period of remarkable growth in both its assets and community impact,” says Cheryl Jensen, Board Chair at HCF. “Drawing on his knowledge, experience and relationships, he spearheaded a new awareness of HCF and mobilized more of its resources for the community’s benefit.”

Jensen says that during Cooke’s tenure, HCF has also gained national and global recognition for its pioneering work in impact investing: where the Foundation’s assets are invested to generate both a social and/or environmental return as well as a financial return.

“I have had the good luck to work in leadership roles in the public, private and charitable sectors over the past 40+ years. I have worked with many talented and wise leaders in both management and governance roles. But I would gladly stack up the Board and management at HCF with any of those experiences.”

Calling his time at HCF “an extraordinary honour and privilege,” Cooke says now is the right time for a leadership transition.

“This summer marks almost 15 years that I have had the privilege of serving as President & CEO of this great and historic Hamilton institution. It will coincidentally be the year that I turn 65. I am so very proud of the work that we have done together in building on its 70-year legacy of leadership, innovation and community impact, that has been so widely recognized, both nationally and globally.

“With a renewed vision, mission, and strategic plan in place, as well as an engaged and committed Board of Directors, the Foundation is well-positioned to deal with the challenges and, more importantly, the opportunities ahead.”