Most People Join a Chapter. She Decided to Build One. | Volunteer Spotlight: Stephanie Cooper

Owners Perspective Magazine | Fall 2026

by: Joanna Bennis, OnIndus

A conversation with Stephanie Cooper, Executive Director of Planning, Design and Construction at Clemson University, on leadership, community, and the Carolinas chapter she's building from scratch

This summer, I had the chance to sit down with Stephanie Cooper, Executive Director of Planning, Design and Construction at Clemson University. I’d seen her name pop up in COAA eForum threads for a while, so it was great to connect directly to chat about her experience with the organization, how she leverages peer networks, and why building relationships with Owners across organizations and institutions makes all of us better at delivering projects.

From Learning the Role to Leading the Room

After earning a degree in Architecture, Stephanie had spent the first chapter of her career practicing at The FWA Group Architects followed by Moseley Architects. Then came the shift to Owner, joining UNC Charlotte as Director of Space Management. This is where Stephanie’s path with COAA started. As a newer Owner looking for perspective and practical guidance, she began dropping into the monthly eForum discussions to hear how others were handling everyday institutional challenges. What began as a way to quietly learn the ropes quickly grew into a hands-on leadership role. Today, Stephanie serves on the COAA Board of Directors, contributes regularly to the organization’s 24/7/365 online community (the eForum), and is spearheading the launch of a new Carolinas chapter to bring that same value to local Owners.

The Value of Sharing Real Experiences

When Stephanie was starting out in the Owner role, the sheer openness of the COAA community made an immediate impression. "I was just so impressed that people were sharing information so openly," she recalled. "As much as our campuses are unique, a lot of the issues we deal with are not. So, just hearing how other Owners are dealing with it, and maybe just feeling like, hey, I'm not out there alone."

We talked at length about how much value there is in getting a quick sanity check from peers who speak the same language. Having a sounding board can validate your strategy or challenge your assumptions, giving you much-needed confidence when making difficult program decisions. Stephanie pointed to times when the community helped frame a frustrating, isolated problem into something broader: "This is an issue across the board, and here's how other schools are solving it." Beyond the practical troubleshooting, having access to the network of Owners helps reduce the professional isolation that often comes with managing complex project portfolios. As Stephanie put it, "It’s a huge relief to find out you aren't the only one wrestling with a contractor issue or budget constraint."

Building a Chapter from the Ground Up

Starting a chapter comes with a unique set of hurdles compared to joining an established one. As Stephanie pointed out, you first have to figure out who potential regional members even are, reach out across institutions that haven't traditionally connected, and make a compelling case for why people should carve out time on already-packed calendars. Momentum doesn't happen overnight; it gets built one conversation and one relationship at a time.

Rather than just asking people to commit to an abstract idea, Stephanie’s approach has been to demonstrate the value of regional collaboration first. A prime example was when Clemson hosted a COAA Owner Training Institute class locally on campus. Hosting locally cut down travel costs for her own team while pulling in participants from neighboring universities, organizations, and public agencies who might not have had the budget or time to travel out of state.

I was particularly impressed by her intentional effort to invite professionals at every career stage ... not just directors and senior leadership. For Stephanie, COAA’s real value shouldn't wait until someone hits a senior title; it is most effective when it reaches people early on, helping them shape their approach to project delivery from the ground up.

A Vision for the Carolinas

For Stephanie, success for the new Carolinas chapter isn't going to be measured in arbitrary membership counts. Instead, it's about making sure an Owner anywhere in the region – regardless of their career stage or institution size – has a local network to lean on when a project gets messy or a tough decision feels isolating.

Her takeaway for the rest of us was straightforward: "Try and pay it forward." Whether that means taking on a chapter leadership role, answering a quick question in the eForum, or just attending a local training, the COAA community only works if people actively participate and support one another.