Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation

Karla M. Cooper and Marcie M. Otteman Fund

Karla Cooper and her daughter, Marcie Otteman, are more than a close-knit pair - they are a multigenerational force for good with roots in Isabella County dating back to the first Cooper family’s arrival in the 1880s. Their family legacy, built on service and stewardship, inspires a shared commitment to invest in the community they call home.

A lifelong caregiver, Karla was raised in Clare but has lived in Mt. Pleasant for the past 40 years and built a decades‑long nursing career - first in hospital settings and later in home health and infection control - serving neighbors across Isabella and Clare counties. Marcie is the deputy chief of Alumni Relations & Constituent Engagement at Central Michigan University, where she has led alumni outreach for 15 years. A proud, five‑generation CMU family, the Coopers and Ottemans cherish their time on and around campus and enjoy volunteering throughout greater Mt. Pleasant.

Philanthropy runs deep through multiple generations of the Cooper family. More than a decade ago, Karla and Marcie established the family’s first MPACF fund, the Ron and Donna Cooper Family Fund, to honor Karla’s parents (and Marcie’s grandparents). Created while Donna was living, it was initially named for Ronald; after Donna’s passing, her name was added so the fund now honors them both.

Sustaining that legacy, Karla and Marcie have now created their second fund at the Foundation - this one in their own names. Built from years of quiet giving, it is designed to endure beyond their lifetimes and advance the causes closest to their hearts: literacy, environmental preservation, and animal welfare.

The purpose of The Karla M. Cooper and Marcie M. Otteman Fund shall be to support the charitable efforts of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, Chippewa River District Library, and the Humane Animal Treatment Society or any organization with a similar mission and serves Isabella County as directed by the donors. 

Through this fund, Karla and Marcie carry their family legacy forward - supporting readers of all ages, safeguarding local land and water, and ensuring humane treatment for animals - now and for generations to come.