OSU's Center for Executive and Professional Development plans 60th anniversary events

Friday, October 4, 2013

The Center for Executive and Professional Development (CEPD) in Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business is celebrating its 60 years of service with anniversary events in Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

In Tulsa, an anniversary event is scheduled from 1:45-3 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
The celebratory event will follow the Tulsa Business Forums featuring Rick Webb, Senior Vice President of Global Processes for Walmart. The format for the 60th anniversary event will include short presentations by Spears School faculty and a question-and-answer panel as well as networking opportunities.

The Oklahoma City event will be from 1:45-3 p.m. Nov. 7 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. The celebratory event will follow the Executive Management Briefings, and will include short faculty presentations, a question-and-answer panel, and networking opportunities.

Spears School faculty experts will take part in both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City events. In Tulsa, Lee Manzer, a marketing professor, will discuss how to enhance service by creating a practical customer focus. Raj Basu, vice president for academic affairs of Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, will present on enhancing employee motivation through coaching. Attendees will learn about the power of influence and persuasive communication skills from Andrew Urich, associate professor of management and associate director of the Eastin Center for Leadership.

Ken Eastman, interim dean for the Spears School, will be moderator for the interactive panel. Joining Manzer, Basu and Urich during the discussion will be Matt Bowler, department of management associate professor, and Kim McCrackin, OSU-Tulsa Learning Services Center coordinator and business communications lecturer.

Participating in Oklahoma City will be Manzer and Bryan Edwards, assistant professor of management, who will give a presentation on managing confrontations. Eastman will be moderator for the interactive panel which will include Edwards, Manzer and Rebecca Greenbaum, department of management assistant professor and Ph.D. coordinator.

CEPD director Julie Weathers is excited for the opportunity to share with professionals the outreach it has provided to students and Oklahoma’s business community for the past 60 years and the opportunities it will continue to bring to Oklahoma.  

“CEPD fulfills a vital role by providing quality executive, management and professional development programs and services for business, industries and government,” Weathers said. “The information the instructors give is practical, and the participants enjoy being able to apply the information in their work and make a difference in their careers.”

The center provides credit and on-line credit courses to traditional and nontraditional students. CEPD also assists faculty and students in their study abroad efforts. Overall, 560 programs were offered to more than 28,700 individuals this year.

There is no registration fee for CEPD’s 60th anniversary events but attendees are asked to complete a registration form. There will be drawings for gifts for those registering to attend both the Tulsa and Oklahoma City event.

For more information about CEPD and its 60th anniversary event, visit cepd.okstate.edu or call 405-744-5208.