The Story of the Ampersand
The very first ampersand connected the letters e and t for the Latin meaning "and." The Cook and Company ampersand is the intentional connection of two c's because Dr. Cook is about connecting with her clients. She also believes we all could use more "and" to serve as a catalyst for gaining momentum and achieving meaningful success.
Dr. Heather Cook
Dr. Heather Cook is the founder of Cook & Company, a woman-owned agency specializing in helping organizations transform through milestone celebrations. Known as a change agent, she partners with companies, nonprofits, and communities to turn anniversaries into catalysts for growth, engagement, and long-term impact. She has led organizations through year-long milestone campaigns that honor the past, energize the present, and create momentum for the future.
Dr. Cook is also the author of You’re Welcome Mama, a self-help book that debuted as an Amazon Hot New Release in five categories and reached #1 Bestseller in Continuing Education.
Before launching her firm, Dr. Cook built a career in marketing, fundraising, and executive leadership. As Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the City of Kingsport, she created a first-of-its-kind marketing coalition uniting competing agencies into a collaborative strategy and served as liaison to the Centennial Commission during Kingsport’s 2017 centennial celebration. She also served as Executive Director of Healthy Kingsport, mobilizing the community to become one of nine statewide Healthier Community pilots under Governor Bill Haslam. As Executive Director of the Foundation at Northeast State Community College, she more than doubled annual contributions, increased government funding, and grew faculty/staff giving from 28% to nearly 80% in less than three years.
Dr. Cook earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with a concentration in Post-Secondary and Private-Sector Leadership from East Tennessee State University (ETSU), where she was the first graduate of the Roan Scholars Leadership Program. She also holds a BBA in Marketing and an MBA from ETSU, along with executive certifications in Nonprofit Management and Fundraising (Indiana University) and Women’s Leadership (Cornell University, 2018).
Active in her community, Dr. Cook serves on the Roan Scholars Leadership Program Selection Committee and the board of the Kingsport Community Foundation. She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Kingsport, where she led the organization through its 100th anniversary in 2024, and previously served on the Kingsport Regional Planning Commission.
In 2024, Dr. Cook was inducted into the ETSU College of Business Hall of Fame for her innovative approach to her work. She’s also been recognized with a Forty Under 40 in Business Award and the Stellar Speaker designation from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Dr. Cook speaks nationally on how milestone moments can serve as powerful tools for transformation—helping organizations embrace change, engage stakeholders, and celebrate with purpose.