Best Wishes to Carla Cooper

Released October 17, 2005

Dear Friend of St. Luke’s:

It is a rare gift when both change and continuity can occur to mutual benefit. With this in mind, I am writing to share with you that Carla Cooper has asked to step down from her role as Senior Vice President. I have agreed with the understanding that she will continue her relationship with St. Luke’s in a new capacity. While we will miss her on a day-to-day basis as she takes up residence in her new home in the Texas Hill Country, we look forward to benefiting from her considerable talents as a consultant to several special projects.

We have been especially blessed by Carla’s leadership as the founding director of St. Luke’s Episcopal Health Charities. More than anyone else, she was instrumental in shaping for St. Luke’s, the Diocese, and the community a totally new dimension of mission and service. Not just a grant-maker, the Charities has come to be a one-of-a-kind agent of change, helping transform lives and neighborhoods, one by one. As it flourishes in the years to come, the Charities will remain an enduring tribute to Carla’s creativity and compassion.

I am also happy to recognize that Carla’s leadership has been instrumental in creating for St. Luke’s a culture of philanthropic support that has thus far permitted us to receive over $60 million in gifts and pledges on behalf of our greatest needs. Joanne Pinkett, who was introduced to our Health, Hope and Human Spirit Campaign by Carla in 2001 is ready to assume the leadership of this critical function and has agreed to serve as Executive Director of Philanthropy.

Carla has identified December 1, 2005 as the transition date for moving from full time to consultancy status. I am grateful that she is willing to stay connected to the St. Luke’s family and especially want to take advantage of her talents as a writer as we try to capture and articulate those intangibles that make St. Luke’s so special and a mission-model for other health care systems.

I know you will join me in thanking Carla for her years of splendid service to St. Luke’s and the Houston community; a number of special events for this purpose are presently being organized. Please join me in extending Carla and Jim our very best wishes and God speed in this next chapter of their lives.

David J. Fine
President and CEO
St. Luke's Episcopal Health System