What is your preferred name? 
Cooper
Where did you grow up?
Tacoma, Washington (until 8th grade) and Las Vegas, Nevada (high school).
What is something unique about you?
I own over 100 pairs of shoes – mainly because I wore a uniform until my Boise State Undergrad, and it was the only thing I could use to set myself apart at school.
What do you like to do for fun?
I’m an avid sports fan. All things Boise State, but professionally I like the Seattle Seahawks, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Kraken, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Jazz (until the Sonics comeback), and Formula 1 (Williams is my favorite racing team).
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” -Teddy Roosevelt (instilled in me by my father, Barry McColeman).
In what year did you complete Boise State’s Professional MBA program?
I graduated from Boise State’s Professional MBA program on May 4th of 2024.
What is your current professional role and what are your responsibilities? How did you get to where you are now?
I am currently a Project Manager at Axiom Project Development Services (PDS). I’m responsible for managing all aspects of a project from design through construction and assisting in the early stages, such as creating development plans that align with project proformas. I’m currently overseeing two significant projects located in Nyssa, Oregon. I met my current manager (and the owner of PDS) through the MBA program as his wife was on my team in the first semester. We “gelled” as team members and loved working together so much that her husband decided to hire me, and we’ve been working together ever since.
In your opinion, what was the most impactful part about completing the Professional MBA program?
The most impactful part are relationships with my cohort, the professors, and the Boise State team. My team and I grew incredibly close, but the entire cohort was like a giant family. We had so many dinners, large and small, and often got faculty to join us for nights out to discuss work in a judgment-free zone and collaborate on ideas. From a professional standpoint, I met many people from diverse backgrounds who taught me a ton about their fields and gave me insight into jobs I didn’t know existed. The relationships I gained throughout the program have significantly impacted my life, whether through mentorships or lifetime friendships.
From L to R: Chris Lohnaas, Derik Scudder, Seth Taylor, Taylor Hart, Cooper McColeman, Jorge Hernandez
How did the Professional MBA impact your view on strategic decision making and leadership?
The Professional MBA reassured me that my view of strategic decision making and leadership were spot on, but that these views were far from aligned to my job at the time. Before PDS, I worked for a great company but in a very poor situation – as many of my peers also learned about their own companies. I would take a rejection of my ideas and philosophies as my fault. But, the PMBA program helped me realize my views on decision-making and leadership were not all that different from what some of the brightest minds were teaching as best practices. The PMBA program helped me realize I needed to find a place that valued the same things I did and wanted to work together to improve (which the PMBA program also helped me find).
What advice do you have for those considering an MBA?
DO IT! Joining the PMBA program is one of the best decisions I have made personally and professionally. The best relationships in my life were formed when I was surrounded by others suffering from the same stress and going through the same grind: football in high school, Thermodynamics in the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate program, and the PMBA program while working a full-time job and trying to maintain some semblance of a social life. I learned so much alongside a great group of people working to better themselves. The challenge is absolutely worth it!
What’s your next big goal (personal or professional)?
My big goal over the next two to three years is to have a team working for me. At my previous employer, I managed a wide variety of people and I loved being their manager. It came with its fair share of challenges, but helping an employee get an internal promotion or helping them learn something they never thought possible made it all worth it. PDS is a much smaller company, but as we continue to expand, I want to get back to having my own team so that I can employees grow and thrive with our business strategy and vision.