Barbara Stubbs Cochran
Barbara Stubbs Cochran is an award-winning journalist whose career has included top jobs in the print, broadcast and nonprofit worlds.
Cochran is currently president of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, which is working to build a monument in Washington, D.C., to honor journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Cochran served nine years as the Missouri School of Journalism’s Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Journalism and directed the school’s Washington program, which brings students to the nation’s capital for hands-on learning. At Mizzou, Cochran also worked with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and the Committee of Concerned Journalists in Washington to continuously improve the practice of journalism through research, consulting and training.
Cochran previously spent 12 years as president of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), where she championed First Amendment rights and journalism ethics. During her tenure there, RTDNA received the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism.
Cochran began her journalism career as a copy desk trainee and rose to become managing editor of the Washington Star newspaper. She then served as vice president for news at National Public Radio, where she directed the creation of NPR’s Morning Edition.
Cochran later transitioned to television, becoming executive producer of NBC’s Meet the Press before serving as vice president and Washington bureau chief of CBS News as the first woman to head a network bureau In Washington. Over the course of her career, she supervised coverage of major international stories including Watergate and the Persian Gulf War and played a leading role in the coverage of every election and political convention for 24 years.
Cochran has been recognized with numerous awards including The Media Institute’s Freedom of Speech Award, The AWC Matrix Foundation’s International Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Library of American Broadcasting’s Giants of Broadcasting Award, the Radio Television Digital News Association’s First Amendment Award and two DuPont-Columbia Awards.
She has served as a judge for the DuPont-Columbia, George Foster Peabody and Hearst Collegiate Journalism Awards. She’s been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Cochran has a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.
Hayes Barnard
As an entrepreneur, business owner and philanthropist, Hayes Barnard, BSBA ’95, has dedicated his life and career to innovation, service and the belief that business can be a powerful force for good.
Barnard is the founder, chair and CEO of GoodLeap, the largest financial technology company in the U.S. focused on home improvement. GoodLeap’s proprietary software and financing tools have helped more than 200,000 contractors and manufacturers offer a broad suite of solar panels, battery storage, efficient roofing and other sustainable solutions to millions of homeowners across the country. The company has logged more than $64 billion in loan volume since its inception and has a private market valuation of $12 billion. GoodLeap has been ranked No. 30 on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in the World list and No. 10 on Forbes’ Fintech 50 list.
Barnard is also the founder, chair and CEO of GivePower, an award-winning nonprofit that provides clean electricity and safe drinking water to more than 2 million people across 32 countries by partnering with hundreds of companies. Since its founding in 2013, the organization has provided more than 500 million liters of clean water around the world and has been recognized with numerous global awards for its technology and commitment to addressing critical needs.
In 2020, Barnard founded GoodFinch, an asset management company specializing in sustainable investments. Mirroring his previous successes, the company has since become the largest finance platform for solar and home improvement assets.
Barnard got his start at Oracle, where he worked in software enterprise sales and gained an appreciation for the power of technology. He then founded, scaled and sold multiple businesses in the sustainability and finance sector, including Paramount Solar, which was acquired by Solar City in 2013. Barnard spent the following four years spearheading its growth as the chief revenue officer.
Barnard graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing. He credits being the only child of a single mom — whom he describes as having a relentlessly positive mindset — for inspiring him to serve those who need the most.
Barnard and his wife, Jessica, have three children and reside in Austin, Texas.
Rodger O. Riney
Rodger O. Riney, BS CiE ’68, MBA ’69, is a business leader and philanthropist best known as the founder of Scottrade, one of the nation’s leading discount brokerage firms, and for his and his wife Paula’s longstanding philanthropic endeavors in Missouri and across the country.
In 1980, Riney founded Scottsdale Securities in Phoenix, Arizona, joining the emerging discount brokerage industry. After buying out his partner in 1985, he relocated the company to St. Louis. By 2000, the business had moved predominantly online, and the firm became known as Scottrade, Inc., maintaining a business model centered on low commissions, accessible branch offices and a strong emphasis on customer service. Under Riney’s leadership, the company grew to include 500 branch offices in 48 states and earned multiple recognitions, including six appearances on Fortune magazine’s list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and JD Power Best Discount Brokerage Award 11 times.
In 2015, Riney announced that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, for which there was no known cure. The following year, he sold Scottrade to TD Ameritrade and turned his attention increasingly toward philanthropy.
Riney and his wife established the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation to support research aimed at improving the understanding and treatment of multiple myeloma and related cancers, as well as other philanthropic causes, primarily in Missouri. Through the foundation, the Rineys have funded more than 200 research projects at more than 20 institutions, including the University of Missouri, Washington University, Emory University, the Mayo Clinic, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In partnership with the International Myeloma Society, the foundation also supports translational cancer research and career development grants for scientists worldwide. To date, more than 100 researchers at 66 institutions in 22 countries have been funded.
Recently, the Rineys have made significant contributions to the University of Missouri to support research in theranostics and nuclear medicine for cancer treatment.
In addition, the Rineys and their foundation have supported numerous civic and charitable organizations in the St. Louis region, including Arch to Park, BioSTL, Operation Food Search, 100 Neediest Cases, Assistance League St. Louis and the Ronald McDonald House.
Riney graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master of business administration. He and his wife live in St. Louis and have three children and six grandchildren.