Sen. Cook returns to Capitol in new role

Above: Although she’s traveled the world, Sen. Cook said a recent trip to Zambia was especially memorable.

After college, Sen. Tanya Cook did what many young people do – she moved with friends to the big city to make her mark. New York City, to be exact.

Shortly after arriving, she began working with David Dinkins’ 1989 campaign for mayor of New York. The job involved spending a great deal of time with city leaders and celebrities.

“It was an eye-opener for a girl from Nebraska,” she said.

That urge to see something new seems to sum up Cook’s approach to life.

Her adventurous spirit took the senator to Washington D.C. to attend Georgetown University, and on travels to Africa, Asia, Europe, India and South America.

Cook said her safari in Zambia was particularly special.

“It was majestic,” she said. “The energy in Africa engages all of your senses.”

But there are adventures closer to home that also spark Cook’s interest. While she considers herself a “city girl,” Cook said she is excited to learn about other people and places here at home.

Cook’s adventures in Nebraska include branding cattle in Wood Lake, an experience she succinctly described with a laugh as “invigorating.”

Though born in Guam while her father was serving in the Air Force, Cook said her childhood was not the typical vagabond life familiar to most service families. Her parents moved to north Omaha when Cook was 16 months old and her father retired from the military.

Cook spent her entire childhood in Omaha, graduating from Central High.

While her parents weren’t overtly political, they were diligent about voting. Her parents know how precious voting rights are, Cook said.

Under Jim Crow laws in the South, her mother was forced to take a literacy test in order to vote. “This is a woman who was a teacher,” Cook said. “She went on to earn a Ph.D. and teach at the university level.”

Her father also became a teacher, earning a master’s degree and teaching third grade after retiring from the military.

Cook chose to forge her own career path.

After earning a master’s degree, she went on to found her own communications company and serve as urban affairs director for the governor’s office.

The bi-partisan spirit that seemed to be taking over national politics encouraged her to think about running for a seat in Nebraska’s non-partisan Legislature.

“I’ve worked on both sides of the aisle,” she said. “I tend to look at issues and policy impact first.”

Having worked in the Capitol Building before, Cook said she’s able to retain perspective on her new job as a legislator.

“This is about serving my constituents,” Cook said. “It’s not about me.”