Woman of Power
Stamford Art Consultant/Entrepreneur Valerie A. Cooper Wins Urban League of Southern Connecticut's Woman of Power Award
Honored During Women's Empowerment Summit
Picture That Art Consultants Team Members from left: Maria Almazan, Graphic Designer, Valerie A. Cooper, Principal, Corporate Art Consultant & Fine Art Appraiser, Tashina Johnson, Operations Analyst, Kimberlyn McKoy, Assistant Curator
Stamford, Connecticut (December 2014) Valerie A. Cooper, founder of Picture That LLC, a corporate full-service art consulting firm, was recently honored by the Urban League of Southern Connecticut (ULSC) as a recipient of its 2014 Woman of Power Award for her commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Cooper was one of 17 female professionals recognized during a luncheon at the Women's Empowerment Summit. Throughout the day, 400 women from the community participated in the summit's career fair, panel discussions and workshops.
A former executive at Goldman Sachs, Cooper is well known for her successful transition into the roles of art consultant and entrepreneur. Over the years, she has established a niche for her business by making significant inroads into Connecticut's health-care market. Picture That was a primary art vendor for Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), outfitting a new facility on the New Haven campus. Picture That has also installed art in several facilities for YNHHS's affiliates including Smilow Cancer Center, and Bridgeport Hospital's Ahlbin Rehabilitation and Industrial Medical Centers.
Valarie Schultz-Wilson, President and CEO of the Urban League of Southern Connecticut, said the organization "is extremely proud of Cooper's accomplishments. She is a true woman of power and we're just very happy to be able to acknowledge her for all of her hard work in the community." Cynthia Mullins, Legal Counsel and Chief HR Officer of Stamford-based JMW Consultants Inc. who served as a member of the summit committee for ULSC's 2014 Woman of Power Award, noted that Cooper "definitely represents a strong woman in our community, a woman who has a lot of vision, a person who can reinvent herself (starting out with an art gallery) but then she had the presence of mind to see where that business was going."
During her 12 years as a purveyor of fine art, Cooper has garnered numerous honors including:
2014 Supplier of the Year, from the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC)
2014 Women Making an Impact Award, from the Fairfield and Westchester County Business Journals
2012 ARTS Award, from the Milford CT Chapter of The Links
2010 Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year, from the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE)
2008 National Supplier of the Year Award-Northern Region, from the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)
Cooper holds an MBA from Columbia University; a certificate in Appraisal Studies for Fine and Decorative Arts from New York University; and a Bachelor of Science from Morgan State University. In 2012 she completed an Executive Entrepreneur Program at Dartmouth College's Tuck School of Business. Cooper is a member of the New England Appraisers Association and an associate of the Appraisers Association of America.
A native of Stamford, Cooper has engaged in community outreach for many years. She serves on the Board of Directors for Norwalk Community College Foundation and, during the past 10 years, her firm has collaborated with the Stamford Center for the Arts to sponsor cultural art exhibitions and museum visits for Stamford Public School Art Students.
From Left: Susan Johnson, Director of Diversity & Inclusion at The Hartford, Valerie A. Cooper, Corporate Art Consultant & Fine Art Appraiser, Deborah Elam, President of the GE foundation & Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Jackqueline J. McLean, DDS
From Left: Ann Mandel, Former NCC Foundation Board President, Valerie A. Cooper, Corporate Art Consultant & Fine Art Appraiser, Charlotte Suhler, Former NCC Foundation Board Secretary
About Picture That LLC Picture That LLC, also known as Picture That Art Consultants, was established in 2002 in Stamford, Connecticut, specializing in art consulting, appraisal, collection, management and curatorial services for corporations, healthcare organizations and academic institutions nationwide. The firm has assembled an extensive team of art professionals including designers, art handlers, appraisers, restoration specialists and fine art trained technologists. In addition, artwork by a diverse composite of established and emerging artists are used to implement award-winning solutions.
