Spears School’s outreach branch receives award for Leadership Development Consortium

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Oklahoma State University’s Center for Executive and Professional Development’s Leadership Development Consortium has been chosen as the recipient of the Association for Continuing Higher Education’s 2015 National Distinguished Non-Credit Program Award.
The award will be presented during the Association for Continuing Higher Education 2015 Annual Conference and Meeting annual luncheon in St. Louis, MO on Nov. 10.

The Center for Executive and Professional Development serves a vital role in the economic growth of Oklahoma by providing more than 220 executive and professional development programs to more than 16,500 individuals each year. The Center’s programs give businesses the opportunity to expand skill sets through interactive session, helping companies succeed in today’s dynamic business environment.

Criteria for the award was based on originality, innovation and the success of the program.

“We are very proud to be partnering with Chesapeake Energy and being able to provide professional development programs that meet their needs as well as help secure topics to be available to companies in the Oklahoma City area,” said Julie Weathers, director of CEPD.

“The programs are offered to Chesapeake employees on-site in Oklahoma City. There were about four to six programs offered each year in 2014 and in 2015. Topics ranged from Energy Finance and Economic Analysis, Finding and Using Your Strengths to be a Better Leader, Negotiation Skills, Business Process Improvement and Project Management and many others. Chesapeake Energy then allowed us to market those programs to the public in the state. The OSU Spears School of Business faculty receive excellent evaluations in offering programs and are great facilitators of these topic areas. As a land-grant university, we view Outreach as a major part of our mission and this is an excellent example of community engagement,” said Weathers.

These open-enrollment programs are offered to the public in Oklahoma City in cooperation with Chesapeake Energy. “It was a win/win situation in that it was good for the surrounding community that Chesapeake was able to host the programs and they have been available for participants from other organizations in the community to register through OSU as well,”noted Sarah Williams, Program Coordinator, who worked with OSU faculty and Chesapeake on the schedule and logistics.

The Leadership Development Consortium program is offered by OSU Spears School of Business faculty. The seminars are designed to prepare, motivate, and build business leaders.

The format of the seminars includes discussion, assessments and/or case studies so concepts are put into practice during sessions and participants return to the workplace better able to implement the information presented.

Similar programs have been launched with companies in Tulsa, Denver, and Houston.

The next program, Increasing Productivity through Accountability, will be presented by Dr. Lee Manzer, marketing professor at the Spears School, on Nov. 12 at Chesapeake Energy.

For more information or to register, contact Sarah Williams, CEPD program coordinator at sarah.hammer.williams@okstate.edu or (405) 744-1984.