John T. Cooney

Carlson School of Management, June 28, 2007

John T. Cooney, native of St. Paul, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota in 1943. He also earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard Business School. After serving as a lieutenant, captain, and major in the U.S. Army, he entered the executive ranks at Univis, where he served for 10 years as vice president for marketing. Later he became president of the Vision Optical Division, Itek Corp., in Boston. He is the founder of Jack Cooney & Associates, Inc., the largest outplacement firm in Florida. After 15 years of running his own firm, he retired in 1990. Throughout his career he has been a tireless community volunteer. He served as president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, chaired the Honda Classic PGA tournament in southern Florida, led an effort to pursue funding from the state to educate teachers, and has served on numerous community boards. He is described as the consummate leader, often working behind the scenes thinking, organizing, and selling ideas, and bringing people together.