A reception to honor Cooke will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, in the Oakland Center Banquet Room. The recognition program will begin at 3:30 pm.
“Over the years that I’ve been part of the OU community, there have been so many wonderful, dedicated people that I have been privileged to work with,” Cooke said. "It’s such an honor to be recognized by this group of colleagues.”
Since she joined the Oakland community in 1986, Cooke has served in a variety of finance positions, including roles as director of Internal Audits and director of Auxiliary Services. In 2007, she began her current role in the Division of Academic Affairs.
“Peggy has always been a pleasure to work with and be around,” wrote Tom LeMarbe, director of Budget and Financial Planning, in Cooke’s nomination form.
“Peggy’s calm demeanor and even-keel nature make people feel comfortable around her. I'm always confident when I learn that Peggy has been assigned to a project or team, knowing that she will have great value to the initiative and respect the opinion of others. Despite the demands of her position, she takes time to foster a team spirit and collegiality among staff.”
In the Division of Academic Affairs, Cooke’s responsibilities include overseeing the budget and all divisional non-faculty personnel matters. She provides guidance and support to academic leadership in financial, personnel and planning strategies, and serves as the chief liaison between the division and Finance and Administration.
Notably, Cooke has negotiated a number of contracts for Oakland that provide revenue in support of university initiatives, including those with Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Chartwells, and Palace Sports and Entertainment.
Cooke was nominated for the Outstanding AP Award by Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Susan Awbrey, and Interim Associate Provost Mary Stein. They wrote:
“During a time of transition in academic affairs, Peggy Cooke has provided a strong base of support through her integral understandings of academic programs, personnel, and processes across the university. Always helpful and supportive, she models an exemplary work ethic for others. She is essential to team building within academic affairs. Peggy Cooke exemplifies an Outstanding Administrative Professional and we nominate her without hesitation for this honor.”
Cooke holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Michigan. Additionally, she is a certified public accountant in the State of Michigan.
The Outstanding Administrative Professional Award was established in 1984, and is designed to recognize the contributions and outstanding achievements of professionals in the administration professional community.
A reception to honor Cooke will be scheduled this spring. Details will be posted once they are available.
View past recipients of the Outstanding AP of the Year Award on
the website.
