Kristin Cooper is honored to serve as First Lady of North Carolina, a state she has called home for nearly three decades.
The daughter of Geri Bernhardt, an artist, and Sam Bernhardt, a Vietnam veteran and physician, Kristin grew up in Oklahoma City along with her three younger sisters. She attended public schools, earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Oklahoma, and then attended Campbell Law School in North Carolina. After graduating law school, she worked as a staff attorney to the legislature in Oklahoma and North Carolina.
It was at the North Carolina General Assembly that Kristin met a young legislator from Nash County named Roy Cooper. After they wed, Roy and Kristin settled in Rocky Mount. While now Gov. Cooper served in the legislature and practiced law, Kristin concentrated on their busy family life including daughter Hilary. Soon Hilary was joined by two sisters, Natalie and Claire. Kristin and the girls enjoyed singing and acting in local theatre productions, with all four appearing on stage together in Camelot.
After Hilary graduated high school in Rocky Mount, the family relocated to Raleigh to be closer to Gov. Cooper’s job as Attorney General. Kristin served
as a member of the Board of Directors, booster and ticket taker at the Raleigh Little Theatre as she supported her daughters, and played the role of mother in many productions.
Kristin has served as guardian ad litem for children in Wake County for 14 years, using her legal training to represent foster children in court. Kristin and other guardians ad litem assure that at-risk children do not become neglected or abandoned. Kristin also served two terms on the North Carolina Arts Council, working to support arts and arts organizations.
As first lady of North Carolina, Mrs. Cooper is using her voice to champion
the well-being of children in our state. She will use her platform to advocate for initiatives, organizations, and people who are working to create a safe, nurturing, healthy environment for children. Her focus will be on foster care, child abuse and neglect, childhood hunger, early childhood development and literacy, and the arts. Mrs. Cooper’s attention to these causes will highlight the individual challenges, opportunities, and successes as well as underscore the intersectionality among the issues.
Kristin and Gov. Cooper make their home in Raleigh with their two cats. Kristin’s friends are frequently treated to photos of plants blooming in her yard, birds that nest on her porch, and her latest knitting projects.