WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Washington Business Journal announced today that Pepco Region President Donna Cooper was named as one of 25 recipients of the Women Who Mean Business award for 2014. The annual event recognizes the region's most influential women who have made a difference in their communities.

Cooper is the primary executive responsible for engaging in stakeholder relations with state and local officials, community leaders, and business, consumer and nonprofit organizations within the Pepco region. She plays a critical role in shaping policy as well as managing and mitigating issues to deliver value to customers and key stakeholders. Pepco, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI), provides safe and reliable electric service to more than 801,000 customers in the District of Columbia as well as Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland.

Before joining Pepco six years ago, Cooper served as policy director to the Council of the District of Columbia as well as clerk/director of the Committee on Government Operations, Council of the District of Columbia.

She has served on the board for the Sustainable Energy Utility Advisory Board since 2009 and also serves on the boards of the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce, the District of Columbia Building Industry Association, the Montgomery County Workforce Investment Board Inc. and others. She also is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Greater Washington.

She holds a doctorate in political science from Howard University, a master's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor's degree from South Carolina State University. She also was an assistant professor of political science at South Carolina State University and an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina and Charleston Southern University.