Overview
Deb Cooksey is WestEd’s General Counsel. Her primary areas of focus include strategic advice to leadership, advice on legal documents, protection of WestEd’s intellectual property, employment law, Board governance, policies and procedures, and risk management issues. She is also a skilled negotiator and conflict mediator.
Cooksey has practiced law in California for law firms and public entities since 1984. Prior to joining WestEd, she was in-house counsel for a large school district in the Bay Area. She has taught in the doctoral program at UC Berkeley’s School of Psychology and in the UC Berkeley Master of Education Program.
Cooksey is a passionate advocate for youth education and serves on the board of the Bay Area Urban League and the Berkeley Community Scholars, the latter of which empowers college-focused Berkeley youth by providing a unique experience of scholarships, advising, mentoring, and a community of support.
Education
- JD, Georgetown Law Center BA in foreign service, Georgetown University