Barry Cooper has a big heart, and Southeast Missouri State holds a special place in it.  An alumnus of Southeast, Barry earned a bachelor of science in business administration degree with a major in accounting.

He says the University holds many special memories.

 “My absolute favorite moment was the first class I went to in the fall of 1977, my freshman year,” Barry said.  “I met my future wife, Denise Clader, in that class.”

Barry’s family background also has centered around Southeast, as his parents both attended the University. He says his family has a long history at Southeast, and he, too, absolutely fell in love with the campus.

A chief financial officer for Laclede Gas Company, Barry is what he calls an “Operating CFO.” He analyzes the forces driving Laclede’s financial results and uses that information to work with operating units. His work improves the company’s operations as well as its financial results.  He also consistently monitors the stock trading and daily cash position of the company; however, the unique challenges Barry faces every day are what he truly enjoys.  He says Southeast prepared him well for the challenges he faces today.

“In addition to a great education, I learned a lot of life lessons at Southeast - the importance of time management, networking, and maintaining a balanced lifestyle,” he said.  “It also taught me how important it is to be able to relate to a wide variety of people, which has allowed me to be very comfortable in a variety of professional and personal settings.”

Barry was a member of a professional fraternity at Southeast. He said he enjoyed spending time with his future wife and hanging out with the guys in his fraternity. He also enjoyed volunteering with his fraternity, and that passion has carried over to his professional life today, as he is active in numerous charitable and educational activities.

“I’ve always done a lot of volunteer work, which I believe goes along with being a good citizen,” Barry said.  “Right now, those efforts are primarily focused on being vice president of our local school board.”

He offers today’s students the following advice: “The only thing out of your reach is the goal you can’t envision. If you plan your work and work your plan, almost anything is possible. The most important thing in life is your family. Everything else is just stuff.”

Barry and his wife Denise have two children, Rachel and Lauren.  They enjoy traveling to Marco Island, Fla., a destination he calls “a safe haven getaway.”

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