USM Gulf Park Names Stephanie McCoy-McLendon as New Executive Education Services Director

Tue, 12/19/2023 - 09:32am | By: Gabriela Shinskie

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has named Stephanie McLendon director of the new Executive Education Services on the Gulf Park Campus in Long Beach. A native of Mississippi, McLendon has extensive background in diverse training environments: global manufacturing, government, academia, private organizations, and independent consulting.

“I thank Drs. Breland and Campbell for trusting my leadership to bring their vision to life for USM to have an executive education program that serves the blue economy for growth and contributes to strengthening resilience for the environment and for the state of Mississippi,” said McLendon.

“I am excited about developing this program from the ground up while leveraging the amazing talents of our team as we are building a professional network of many expertise and providing performance solutions to businesses and individuals that will propel growth.”

Executive Education offerings are set to soft launch in the Spring 2024 semester and will offer a variety of training solutions for today’s workforce. McLendon plans to partner with USM colleges and outside organizations to also offer micro credentialing.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for USM, Mississippi businesses, and Government to work together for sustainability, growth of professionals, growth in number of job roles, and growth in the economy,” said McLendon.

Dr. Shannon Campbell, Senior Associate Vice President for Coastal Operations at USM, said the services are a response to a growing market demand for specialized training and credentialing. Many will be offered through professional development, workshops and events.

“Our University’s expertise is well established in coastal and ocean sciences, polymers, leadership, healthcare, computer science, and social sciences, just to name a few. When we combine our expertise with our ability to create and deliver specialized training, then it allows us to offer outreach services for the workforce,” said Campbell.

McLendon is focusing on helping individuals and businesses take control of their path while also creating a positive impact on the blue economy. Her vision is focused on every person and business having a responsibility for environmental resilience and growth.

The trainings can be offered at the location that best fits the needs of audience—whether that means where the customer is located, on campus, or online. A vision of providing expertise and support to government, public, private and academia entities is a drive toward sustainability for the environment and the economy.

Learn%20more about the future of the Executive Education Services at USM.