For Immediate Release: May 21, 2008
Collins College Announces New Director of Communications & External Relations
The Collins College of Hospitality Management is pleased to announce that Lisa McPheron, formerly of Cal Poly Pomona's Office of Public Affairs, has become the director of communications and external relations. She will oversee the production of a new biannual magazine about The Collins College of Hospitality Management as well as head the College's alumni program.
This new position is made possible by generous donations from Hae and Shina Park and James and Carol Collins. The Parks initially pledged $1 million, which was matched by James and Carol Collins to form the Hae & Shina Park in Memory of Dr. Donald Lundberg Alumni & Outreach Endowment.
"With state resources as tight as they are, The Collins College has been unable to set aside funding for this kind of position. We are very grateful to Hae and Shina and Jim and Carol for seeing a need and providing the resources," Dean Andy Feinstein said.
Founded in 1973, The Collins College of Hospitality Management is the oldest and largest four-year hospitality Bachelor of Science program in California. Consistently ranked among the nation's premier hospitality management programs, The Collins College provides students with a superior education in a state-of-the-art facility, where theories and concepts are applied to real-world settings.
This summer, McPheron will be working to launch the first issue of the magazine by September and reestablish a Collins College Alumni Chapter Executive Board. She will also be working with Efren Gomez, information technology consultant for The Collins College, to redesign the College's Web site.
"There are several active alumni, and I'll be working to bring even more into the fold. A technique to engage alumni is simply letting them know what's going on at their alma mater. The magazine and revamped Web site will enable us to do that outreach," McPheron said. "Having active alumni is a great asset because they create a strong professional network for themselves and current students. They also build a sense of pride and ownership of the College and create more mentoring possibilities for students."
McPheron comes to The Collins College by way of the university's Office of Public Affairs where she was a senior communications specialist. Prior to her career in public affairs, McPheron worked as a journalist at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and then the Press-Enterprise in Riverside.
"We're excited to have Lisa. Her knowledge of the university and her solid journalism experience will serve The Collins College well," Feinstein said.
McPheron graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in American studies and a bachelor's degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in communications at Cal State Fullerton.
Lisa McPheron can be reached at lcmcpheron@csupomona.edu or (909) 869-3151.
Posted Date: 5/21/08