Faculty/Staff Directory

First Name
Gerard

Last Name
Cooke

Email
[email protected]

Picture

Title
Director

Office
SCB 1031

Phone
(616) 331-7400

Department
MentorShip Program, Seidman Dean's Office

Expertise
• Mentoring • Sales • Strategy • Management • Gamification

Biography
Gerry Cooke is a two-time graduate of the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, where he earned both his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration degrees. During his MBA program, Gerry was honored as the student commencement speaker, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Omicron Delta Kappa. With over 25 years of professional experience in business, primarily in sales and marketing, Gerry brings a wealth of real-world expertise to his role. He returned to Grand Valley during the pandemic to pursue his passion for mentorship, having been a volunteer in the Seidman Professional Mentorship Program since its inception in 2010. As the “Captain” of the Mentor-Ship, Gerry has mentored dozens of students and now leads efforts to foster student human skill development, acts as a liaison to the business community, and works to create a culture of mentoring within the college. Gerry also has significant international experience, having delivered personal greetings from President Gerald R. Ford to Mayor Gohee Kowabata of Grand Rapids’ Sister City, Omihachiman, Japan. In addition, during the 2010s, he served as a Chief Warrant Officer in the Michigan Volunteer Defense Force, where he trained and led disaster recovery teams from the 4th Battalion at Fort Custer. Outside of his professional life, Gerry enjoys the great outdoors, traveling the world, and participating in role-playing games. He is also a licensed private aircraft pilot.

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