Biography
Dr. Cook holds credentials as a CPA, Certified Global Management Accountant, International Accountant, PRINCE2 Practitioner (project management), and is Certified in Financial Forensics. She is a Fellow of the Association of International Accountants and a member of the AICPA, FICPA, ACFE, and American Accounting Association.
Dr. Cook’s 30-year professional career includes executive roles in billion-dollar enterprises and spans the private, public, non-profit, and family-operated sectors; industries include family office and ultra-high-net-worth services, private equity/venture capital, public accounting (tax and audit), real estate, health care, insurance, international trade, transportation (railroad, maritime), hospitality, and sports.
Dr. Cook began her PBA journey in 1990 as a dual-enrolled high school student at age 15, subsequently becoming part of the Honors Program’s first graduating class. As a student, Dr. Cook was named Top Honor Graduate and Most Outstanding Bachelor of Arts Graduate, while also receiving the Rinker School of Business Accounting Award and the Foreign Language Department Award (German). She was involved in an officer role in multiple PBA clubs and contributed to student publications. After becoming a three-time PBA graduate, Dr. Cook remained dedicated to PBA through roles on the Rinker MBA Association Board and PBA Alumni Board. Other PBA ties include her two sons, who are both alumni, Victor J. Cook, IV and Thaddeus (Tad) J. Cook. Dr. Cook was also a high school classmate of Dr. Tindall, a college and Honors Program classmate of Dr. St. Antoine, and a doctoral classmate of Dr. Kennedy. For PBA’s 50th anniversary in 2018, Dr. Cook was a selected as one of the 50 Notable Alumni recognized.
In 1998, Dr. Cook began teaching as an adjunct for the Rinker School of Business and joined the full-time faculty in her 25th year of teaching at PBA. Classes taught include undergraduate courses in accounting, finance, and computer science and graduate courses in accounting in the Master of Accountancy program, with some courses being designed or co-designed by Dr. Cook. Dr. Cook has conducted behavioral research in the area of accounting system design, including her dissertation and publication in the proceedings of the Southeast Regional Conference of the American Accounting Association. As a practitioner, she is a frequent conference speaker, with seven such engagements within the last year.
Passionate about mentoring and ministering to athletes, Dr. Cook moved to athletic coaching after winning multiple state and national archery competitions and competing in the 2015 Olympic Trials. Dr. Cook is an NTS Level 4 archery coach, Level 2 archery judge, and certified instructor trainer who specializes in athletes with disabilities. Since 2016, she had been coaching on a part-time basis for the U.S. Air Force’s Warrior Games program and since 2021 for Team USA. She has coached elite athletes at numerous national and international events, including Invictus Games, Warrior Games, the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials, and World Para Championships.
Dr. Cook is a member of St. Edward Catholic Church, her parish since childhood. She currently serves as a member of the PBA Alumni Board, as President of Gold Coast Archers Club in Delray Beach, and as a member of the Young Friends Executive Committee of the Palm Beach Symphony. She is a venture capital start-up mentor in the New Chip Accelerator program.
Degrees
Degrees
DBA in Business Administration/Accounting, Nova Southeastern University | MBA in Business Administration, Palm Beach Atlantic University | BA in Accounting, Palm Beach Atlantic University | BS in Management , Palm Beach Atlantic University