Robert K. Cooper will return to the University of Georgia March 14 as senior development officer and assistant to the dean for external affairs in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Office of College Advancement, J. Scott Angle, CAES dean and director, and Brooks McCommons, senior director of the UGA Office of Development, announced today.

“Rob is a proven, successful fundraiser in our industry,” Angle said. “In these tight budget times he’s the perfect person to help our college fund new opportunities for our students, our researchers and our extension programs.”

Cooper was previously executive director of the National FFA Foundation headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., where he served as the chief executive of the foundation. He was responsible for overall fundraising strategies, achievement of the foundation's mission and vision and overall strategic development.

Before joining the National FFA Foundation, Cooper was director of development for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He was responsible for overall management of fundraising ventures and alumni relations.

“It’s nice to come back to a place I consider home with fresh ideas and new experiences to apply to an institution I firmly believe in,” Cooper said. “The world-class work of this college is the future of agriculture, and I’m thrilled to have an important role to play in helping them secure that future.”

Previously, Cooper was director of development at the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He has held titles of executive director of the Maryland 4-H Foundation in College Park, Md., and director of development for the National 4-H Council in Chevy Chase, Md.

He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Delaware in Newark, Del.

His wife Linda is a teacher with Oconee County Schools in Watkinsville, Ga.