Charlie Copeland
| Charles L. Copeland | |
|---|---|
| Minority Leader, Delaware State Senate | |
|
In office 2006 – June 2008 |
|
| Succeeded by | F. Gary Simpson |
| Member of the Delaware State Senate from the 4th District | |
|
In office January 14, 2003 – June 2008 |
|
| Preceded by | Dallas Winsow |
| Succeeded by | Michael S. Katz |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1963 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Bonnie |
| Residence | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Alma mater | Duke University |
| Profession | Businessman |
Charles L. "Charlie" Copeland (born 1963) is a Delaware businessman and politician. He is a former Minority Leader of the Delaware State Senate and ran for the Lieutenant Governorship of Delaware in 2008.
Copeland is the grandson of Lammot du Pont Copeland, making him a member of the Du Pont family. Copeland attended Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware where he pitched for the varsity baseball team and pursued a passion for the sciences, especially physics. Upon graduating from Tower Hill in 1981, Copeland enrolled as an undergraduate at Duke University and earned a double major in Physics and Computer Science. In 1994, he obtained an MBA from Duke's School of Business. Charlie married his high school sweetheart, Bonnie Egan, in 1987. They now live in Wilmington with their two children and their four rescued dogs. Their family attends Christ Episcopal Church of Christiana Hundred.
Copeland was one of only a handful of state legislators to own and operate a family business. When he first assumed management of Associates Graphic Services in 1994, the small Delaware printing company in Wilmington had only ten employees. Since then, AGS has grown to over 50 employees and evolved into a high tech business. In June 2008, AGS was internationally recognized in Düsseldorf, Germany for innovation and exception in the industry by CIP4, an international industry association. In 2009, AGS won the "Best in Show" Award at the Philadelphia Direct Marketing Association annual dinner, and it won the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for upholding high corporate ethics.
In 1997, 5 years before first deciding to run for public office, Copeland co-founded the Challenge Program, a Wilmington-based vocational-training program for at-risk youth in the city. In the program, young men receive job training in construction and are afforded the opportunity to develop a marketable skill set. Upon graduation, participants are placed in construction jobs with local companies. Throughout training, participants renovate and repair homes which the Challenge Program then turns over to Habitat for Humanity, Wilmington Housing Partnership, the Wilmington Housing Authority and other local charities. Copeland sits as the Board President of the Challenge Program. In addition, he remains involved with the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, and the Mount Cuba Center.
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