On Jeff Cooley’s office wall there hangs an artist’s rendition of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Hanging right next to it is a rubber chicken.

“I think that describes Jeff Cooley – from a rubber chicken to world-class architecture,” said Ken Baker, director of campus recreation.

It is this type of humor, the “Jeff-Cooley humor,” that will be missed most when Cooley, vice president for business affairs, retires on Dec. 31.

“He’s got the sharpest wit from anyone else I’ve been around,” Baker said. “You’ve got to be on your toes to keep up with him intellectually.”

Baker has known Cooley for most of his life. They grew up in Charleston. Baker often played sports with Cooley’s older brother, Randy.

Baker said Cooley was always known as Randy’s little brother.

They would all play football in the backyard together even though Cooley was five years younger.

“That’s where he developed the toughness to be a vice president is from taking the pounding from his older brothers and his friends,” Baker said.

He said Cooley was just happy to be playing.

President Bill Perry said he will miss Cooley’s sense of humor most.

He said working with Cooley is like working with your best friend.

“You work side-by-side,” Perry said. “You sit down together at the desk or at the table, shoulder-to-shoulder.”

Perry said Cooley always has a positive way of looking at things.

“The issues that we have to grapple with in universities, in particular in terms of budget and the physical plant, are really important issues, and sometimes they’re really difficult to deal with,” Perry said. “It is real hard work and there can be tension so you need to be able to just sort of say the right thing sometimes to break the ice and get people feeling up about the problem or issue that we’re working on.”

Gary Reed, director of facilities, planning and management, works for Cooley in the business affairs area.

Every Thursday morning, Cooley brings his directors into his office for their business affairs council meeting.

“Usually, he’ll have a good anecdote or something,” Reed said. “It will be of current news value, and he’ll put a humorous spin on it. He injects the humor – this Jeff-Cooley humor – that lightens up the whole atmosphere.”

Reed said he has an uncanny sense of timing and humor.

“If we’re talking about a serious subject, he knows when to inject some humorous twist on the discussion,” he said. “He pulls everyone back to reality and makes everyone relax through that.”

It must be a natural ability for him, Reed said.

During the span of his 25-year career at Eastern, Cooley started as the director of internal auditing in 1983, became assistant vice president for business affairs in 1997 and became vice president for that department in June 2001.

Baker said Cooley has made accomplishments here at the university.

He said when Cooley became vice president for business affairs in 2001, the next two years were tough because of an economic downturn after Sept. 11.

“They were laying people off at University of Illinois and through Jeff’s leadership and financial direction we were able to avoid all that here at Eastern,” Baker said. “He’s brought the university through some really tough economic times.”

Reed said one of the points of pride he has had working with Cooley has been the university’s energy performance efforts.

“I think that’s going to be one of his legacies – the way this campus has become one of the most energy efficient and one of the most green campuses probably in the nation at this point in time,” Reed said.

Ellen Coultas, the office administrator for Cooley’s office, said he is the perfect boss.

“Jeff is very professional, but he also has a great sense of humor,” she said. “We’re just going to miss him terribly.”

Coultas said it is a pleasure to work for Cooley.

“Nothing ever seems to shake him,” she said. “He’s always cool and calm no matter what’s happening.”

Coultas said Cooley is friendly.

“He takes time to be nice to everyone as he’s going down the hall,” she said. “He’ll stop and speak to everyone.”

Emily Zulz can be reached at 581-7942 or at eazulz@eiu.edu.

Jeff Cooley, vice president for business affairs, will retire on Dec. 31. Paul McCann, director of business services/treasurer, will replace him. (Karolina Strack

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