Name: Sean Cooper
Title/Department: Electrical Distribution Systems Manager, Interim Cogeneration Systems Manager
F&O Start Date: 2007 and again in 2017
Years at Carolina: About 12 years
Professional background: I am an experienced electrical and controls engineer with extensive experience in project management and leadership of complex projects for universities, manufacturers and utilities. These projects have included 15 kV electrical systems, generators, chilled water systems, dryers, steam distribution, and industrial process control applications. For the last seven years, I have managed the Electrical Distribution System division of Energy Services at the University.
Education: I earned my Bachelor of Science in electrical and electronics engineering from UNC Charlotte and my Master of Business Administration from UNC Pembroke. I am a licensed professional engineer and a licensed electrical contractor.
What does your job entail: I help ensure that the University, UNC Hospitals and other units have resilient and reliable electricity throughout every day, every minute and every year. As my fellow Electrical Distribution Systems employee Danny Crawford would say, “When the lights are on, you know we’re doing our job!”
What is exciting you about your job right now: This job feels like a mission to me. Everyone notices our failures when we’re not doing our job well, which is why I say we’re in a pass-or-fail business. Our work is also hazardous, requiring a special and unique individual who is willing to work on high-voltage systems.
What is something we may not know about you: I’m a proud gymnast and dance dad, and I always enjoy watching my daughters compete in their events. And yes, I’ll proudly wear those dad T-shirts with corny sayings like, “I can’t dance, but I can finance.”