About Mike Cope

Mike Cope is an experienced professional in government, having worked at every level including State, County, City, and Township. In 2017, he was appointed President of the Ohio Coal Association, overseeing all functions including business and government relations. He was successful helping to pass two major pieces of legislation He is well-known to the Ohio General Assembly and the Ohio Congressional delegation. Currently, Mr. Cope owns his consulting company, Key Consulting, providing services to both government and the private sector on transportation, government relations, energy, and economic development issues.

Mr. Cope began his political career in 1973 when he was elected to the Harrison Hills Board of Education at age 18, making him the youngest elected official in Ohio In 1975, at age 20, he was elected President of the Board.

After serving one term on the School Board, Mr. Cope was elected Harrison County Treasurer. Later, he was nominated by the Republican Party and unsuccessfully sought a seat from the 98th District in the Ohio General Assembly. After relocating to Central Ohio, he and his family moved to Hilliard while he worked for the City of Columbus as Administrator for the Department of Human Services in the housing rehabilitation department. In the early 1990s, he joined the Ohio Department of Transportation under Governor Voinovich.

During a nearly ten-year career with ODOT, Mr. Cope was appointed the first non-engineer to serve as a District Deputy Director and later held the position for two districts (5 and 11), simultaneously overseeing two interstates and a workforce of approximately 8,000 employees. He completed his ODOT career as Assistant Director of Business and Human Services.

Among his elected positions, Mr. Cope was appointed to Hilliard City Council after serving five years on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Hilliard is a suburb of Columbus with a current population of 41,000. He was elected to his first full term in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 without opposition. In the early 2000s, he was appointed Council’s representative to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors. MORPC represents 42 municipalities in 7 counties in Central Ohio and distributes $27 million annually in federal transportation funds.

Mr. Cope’s formal education includes two degrees. His undergraduate degree is in Business Administration from Ohio University (1977). His master’s degree is in Political Science/Public Administration from Ohio University (1997). He and his wife Darlene have three grown children and reside in Grove City, Ohio.