“You are the sum of your decisions.”
— Corey Cook
Corey L. Cook
Corey Cook is the Chief Operating Officer of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation (EDDC) in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. He helps oversee a $150 million development portfolio, including construction, property management, tenant relationships, and community development initiatives. Born and raised on the Lower East Side of Erie, Corey’s path to leadership was anything but traditional—and that’s exactly why he wrote this book.
Before joining EDDC, Corey spent over 16 years at UPS, working his way from a part-time union employee loading trucks to a management role overseeing dispatch operations for all of Erie County. During those same years, he founded LifeThruMusic, a nonprofit music mentoring program that grew from 10 kids in a community room to a statewide initiative serving hundreds of young people. That work led to a live interview on Good Morning America, gubernatorial appointments by both Governor Tom Wolf and Governor Josh Shapiro, and recognition for his civic contributions to the Erie community.
Corey is also the founder and CEO of Cook Media LLC, a media production company specializing in wedding photography and videography, live sound, and book publishing. He serves on multiple boards, including the Greater Erie Economic Development Corporation, United Way of Erie County, and the Pennsylvania Council on Inclusive Procurement. He is a drummer, pianist, and the creator of the DREAM/BIG book series—of which this is the first volume, followed by GROW/, LAUNCH/, and LEGACY/.
This book started as a graduation gift for his children—a way to pass down the lessons, mistakes, and hard-won wisdom he wished someone had laid out for him when he walked across the stage at 20 years old. But as he wrote, it became clear the message was bigger than his own family. DREAM/BIG is for every young person standing at the edge of adulthood, especially those from communities where the roadmap isn’t always clear.
America
