Jeff Cooley, vice president for Business Affairs

Cooley announces December retirement

By: Rick Kambic/Editor-In-Chief

Posted: 6/10/08

Eastern released a statement Tuesday afternoon announcing Jeff Cooley's decision to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2008. Cooley, vice president for Business Affairs, would be concluding a 25-year career at Eastern.

"I don't think there's a better financial guru at a four-year school in this state," said Rep. Chapin Rose, R- Mahomet. "I call Jeff all the time for questions about how situations would effect the school."

Cooley was appointed vice president for Business Affairs in June 2001 by then president Carol Surles, following a national search. Cooley said his place is now alongside his wife so they can spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

"Jeff's retirement will be a huge loss to Eastern's administrative team," said Eastern President Bill Perry. "His work has been absolutely critical to me in my first year at Eastern. His leadership and knowledge of fiscal matters, of the university and of state offices has been of great benefit to Eastern for many, many years.

Cooley's career at Eastern began in 1979 when he graduated from the institution with a bachelor's degree in accounting. Immediately thereafter, he spent four years working as an accountant at a private firm in the Taylorville area.

He began his 25-year employment at Eastern in 1983 as the director of internal auditing until his promotion to assistant vice president in 1997.

"Eastern is the single most efficient school in Illinois," Rose said. "Eastern educates more students per tax dollar than any other school and that's all (credited) to Jeff. He's made that school economically sound."

Rose said Cooley's abilities to reduce electric and water expenditures by utilizing energy efficient equipment campus-wide has surpassed all other state schools' attempts.

According to Perry, a search advisory committee will be selected this summer and will begin its work in finding a new vice president for Business Affairs this fall.

Rick Kambic can be reached at 581-7942 or at rwkambic@eiu.edu.