R. Coleman Loper, CPA

Interim CEO & Chief Financial & Administrative Officer

Mr. Loper was initially appointed Southern Research’s Interim Chief Financial and Administrative officer in August of 2024 and was subsequently appointed as the Interim Chief Executive Officer in December of 2024. His primary responsibilities include assisting with the transition to a new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer as well as overseeing the operations and financial results of Southern Research.

He is a proven financial executive with 37 years of experience in audit, advisory, and resource management. Mr. Loper’s career includes a distinguished tenure at EY, where he served as the Southeast Region Leader of the Public Sector and Not for Profit Services group and later as Assurance Resource Deployment Leader, overseeing more than 1,000 audit professionals. As EY’s Alabama Office Managing Partner, he was responsible for all of their services in the state of Alabama. His background also includes significant governance experience as a result of serving in various capacities on boards of directors for several nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Loper is a licensed CPA in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida and holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Alabama. He and his wife of 42 years, Annette, have three grown children and two grandchildren.