Serving Those Who Served

The following is an excerpt from a Q&A with Dan Cooper about how he followed his father's footsteps into the military, how his experiences helped shape his career in Quality and how he is paying it forward for other Veterans as a member of our IVET employee resource group (ERG).

• When did you enlist in the military?
I joined the U.S. Army right after high school because I wanted to serve like my father, who was a career military man. I completed basic training, infantry training, airborne school, and the Ranger Indoctrination Program at what was formerly Fort Benning, now Fort Moore, in Columbus, Georgia. I was initially stationed at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia and spent the last year of my three-year enlistment at the United Nations Command Security Force-Joint Security Area (UNCSF-JSA) in Panmunjom Korea.

• What would you like people to know about you on a personal level?
I've been married for 13 years to my beautiful and talented wife Kristen and we have two German Shorthaired Pointers named Scout (11 years old) and Chip (1.5 years old).  

• How long have you been at Integra?
I rejoined Integra this year, after previously working at Integra from 2010 to 2018.

• Can you tell us more about your career journey?
After my enlistment in the U.S. Army ended, I attended community college, graduating with an associate's degree in architectural technology. I then began working while completing a bachelor of science degree in industrial technology from Millersville University. I am also a Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Biomedical Auditor, Certified Supplier Quality Professional, and ISO13485 Lead Auditor.

My previous role at Integra until 2018 was quality engineering manager in our former York, Pennsylvania site. I was responsible for things such as design control, customer complaints, internal audits, risk management, and supplier quality. From 2018 to 2024 I was the director of Quality Assurance (QA) and Regulatory Affairs (RA) at a start-up company and also did some consulting work. Upon rejoining Integra, I am now responsible for all site quality functions at our Columbia, Maryland site where we manufacture our urinary bladder matrix (UBM) products - MicroMatrix®, Cytal® and Gentrix®.

• What does it mean for you to be a member of the IVET employee resource group (ERG)?
I joined the IVET ERG so that I could help recognize and give back to Veterans who have served and sacrificed so much for their country. My goal as a relatively new member of this group, is to expand the involvement from our colleagues outside of corporate, and plan more local activities in support of Veterans.

• How did your time in the service influence your career goals?
In the military, I was determined to develop skills and pursue opportunities to be the best soldier and provide the greatest possible service to my country. It was then that I learned doing good work was its own reward. Similarly, I've tried to gain knowledge and add experiences in my career in Quality that enable me to be my best to meet the needs of the organization.  

• How have you approached your own professional development?  And what advice do you have for others that want to develop their skills?
I have continually sought out training and certifications and volunteer for special roles focused on doing good work as opposed to recognition. My philosophy is that if you do good work and add value, recognition will follow.

• How have you dealt with failure and setbacks throughout your career?
Failure is a gift, as it is an opportunity to learn from the failure. If you don't understand why the failure/setback occurred, then you are subject to repeated failures/setbacks in the future.

• In your own words, what does World Quality Week mean to you?
World Quality Week is an opportunity to shed light on a necessary aspect of successful manufacturing organizations, and even more critical for medical device manufacturers. It's also a time for education. So many people think of Quality as the department that performs inspections, quarantines product, or performs and facilitates quality system audits. While this is a significant part of what makes up quality, ensuring delivery of safe & effective products and compliant processes requires all employees doing their part. I'm grateful for a platform to raise awareness and reinforce that quality is everyone's responsibility.

The focus on World Quality Week includes: practical strategies and insights, embracing innovation, managing risks proactively, focusing on sustainability, and promoting a learning culture. Can you share your perspective on these things?

• In my own words, here is what each of these five areas means to me:
Simple is often more desirable than overly complicated processes. Slow is steady and steady is fast.

Innovation must be part of our culture, with every colleague working towards and supporting continuous improvement.

We must use risk-based decisions to ensure our products are safe and effective, but we should also use risk to help identify priorities and resource allocation.

In addition to sustainability being part of product and process development, Integra sites can initiate projects and organize teams which work toward improving our company's sustainability. An example is the formation of the Integra Green Team.

We need to continue to support and encourage our colleagues to learn and adapt. As colleagues advance their careers through learning, this not only benefits each individual but will collectively help Integra continue to grow and execute on our company goals.

• What makes Integra special?
What makes Integra special are the people and our organizational structure. The people I work with in Columbia and in corporate are working together to achieve established goals. The sites are still able to retain some unique small company culture, but also have the stability of being part of a large corporation that supports and enables the sharing of best practices.

• As we celebrate our 35th anniversary-what is one of your most memorable moments at Integra?
My most memorable moments revolve around giving back. Recently, I worked with my Columbia colleagues to prepare 10,000 shelf stable meals that will go to neighborhoods around the world facing high rates of food insecurity through the non-profit organization - Rise Against Hunger.

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