>> KEITH: I tell people I've got good and bad news
about the car I drive.
The bad news it's 20 years old.
The good news, it's a Porsche
and it looks just like it did in 1999.
Actually it's 21 years old now.
[chuckling]
I'm Keith Cooley.
I am a third generation, U of M student and alumni.
I was part of the class of 1967, so I go way back.
[chuckling]
I got my bachelor's degree in 1967,
after that I got a chance to do some work overseas
in Italy and Germany.
I was COO and CEO of Non-Profit called Focus Hope.
And Focus Hope ended up feeding 40000 to 45000 people
a month in the 5 counties that sort of bordered Detroit.
And in fact, the reason the governor asked me
to come up to Lancing and be a cabinet member for her,
was because she saw what we were doing
and how we could take kids who no one thought could succeed
and had them really succeed.
She said I want you to do that for Michigan.
In 2010,
I went off on my own again,
helping to leverage Detroit's recovery,
with the Clean and Green Collar Economy and
to help young folks who might not otherwise
get good jobs to be trained in those same sectors.
You know, solar, wind, geothermal,
biodiesel, all of those kinds of things.
>> JORDAN: It seems like you have a busy, kind of, schedule.
What does everyday look like for you?
What is a typical day
as Keith Cooley look like?
>> KEITH: That's the good thing about my life,
everyday is a little different, could be filled with
board meetings all day long.
There may be a trip to Washington to talk
with the senators and the congress people
that represent Michigan.
About why it's important to get our waters cleaned up
and our air cleaned
or it might be out visiting with the kids.
Those things came along, I think, because I was focused
on making a difference, getting out and meeting
with people and talking with people and trying
to find out what was wrong
and how we can get it fixed.
So, I always tell folks I talk to,
If you focus on making a difference,
making a name will come on its own.
>> JORDAN: I feel you.
>> KEITH: I don't know about you but people have told me
from time to time, you're reaching too far.
You can't do that.
>> JORDAN: Right.
>> KEITH: And I had to get to a place where I just said
I think they're wrong.
I came at a time when there weren't a lot of people like me,
that attended engineering school.
And because I think most of us were thought to be
rather relatively unprepared for the rigors
of that kind of experience.
I used to tell people when I was here,
that I could go to class every week
and I could count on one hand, how many people
I saw that looked like me around the engineering school
and have fingers left over.
It was difficult from that point of view
but you know, like I tell everyone,
you need to make friends with anybody around
who wants to make friends because you never know
when they're gonna need you or you gonna need them.
And friends that I had at that time
were very helpful to me.
I ended up going to school there,
got a bachelor's in Engineering Physics,
a Master's in Nuclear Engineering
and was a walk-on gymnast.
>> JORDAN: Wow.`
>> KEITH: For the school.
I was the first African American
to compete for the school in that sport.
So its doable, you know, I tell everybody it's doable.
>> JORDAN: Definitely, definitely.
That is, wow!
[chuckling]
A lot of firsts, a lot of overcoming that is really great
to hear and you know, pioneered, kind of, a way for
people like me, to now be there as well.
>> KEITH: Being at college and especially being at Michigan,
was probably the thing I enjoyed most in my entire life.
Some things have changed, there are other things
that are as important but I loved being at college.
It was great, football Saturday's,
being able to go over to the stadium.
And as a jock, I lived with nine football players.
So it was nine football players and this gymnast.
You know, little guy and being able to go to the parties
and meet people that I didn't know
and form new friendships, some of which, you know,
I still are friends with me today, was wonderful.
>> JORDAN: And so if you were a college student today,
what kinds of things do you think you would
pay attention to?
>> KEITH: I would put a lot of attention towards
the work that I had to do everyday to get through school.
But I would be just as focused on,
what are the other things going on around me that
I might be involved in and might really like
to be involved in that don't have anything to do
with the engineering necessarily.
And I'd say most importantly,
do stuff that you think is scary.
I don't mean rob a bank or jump off a 10 story building.
But do stuff that you think you can't do
and it might be a little bit scary but
its gonna be okay.
I've had a lot of twists and turns in my career,
some ups, some downs but I think the guy that I am now,
I think the guy that I was would look
at the guy that I am now and say
"Ah, not bad, not bad."
Sitting where I am now,
would talk with that person then,
I would be encouraging statement,
you probably heard other folks say it.
In times of crisis, the wise build bridges,
while the foolish build walls.
So when we find ourselves in crisis,
let's take a look at those police officers
who took a knee and say,
why can't we figure out how to extend a hand to them
and talk with them and figure out
how we can work on this thing together.
As opposed to saying, well they did dumb stuff,
fire them or get rid of them or whatever.
The more bridges we can build,
the better a society we're going to be.
>> JORDAN: Gotcha.
Definitely some good words.
You telling me too, I will definitely take those to heart.
[dramatic music]