Alumni Spotlight: Lisa Conley
(February 19, 2019) - Like many students who have attended Clayton State University, Lisa Conley ’02 arrived as a nontraditional student. She attended a different institution right out of high school but had to leave due to financial reasons. After working for a number of years and unable to advance in her career, she decided she needed a bachelor’s degree.
While continuing to work, Lisa was looking at other colleges and universities that did not seem to fit into her schedule. She began researching Clayton State and eventually attended an information session and felt welcomed as someone taking a nontraditional route to her degree.
“I knew that night I was in the right place,” Lisa recalls.
Remembering her time as a student, she was busy with work and school, but it was a great experience. Professors were accessible and genuinely invested in her success. There are specific memories of Dr. Jourdan and Dr. Nakos and their thought-provoking classes.
“Being able to complete my degree increased my confidence and allowed me to pursue a larger variety of roles,” Lisa says.
Since leaving Clayton State, Lisa has had a tremendous career in higher education. In her current role, she recruits industry professionals to mentor students as the Associate Director of Graduate Mentoring in the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. Prior to working at Georgia State, Lisa was the Organizational Development Manager for the University System of Georgia (USG) managing program logistics for the Executive Leadership Institute and facilitated leadership development programming for USG staff. Additionally, she also served over a decade at Georgia Tech in various administrative roles.
As an alumna of Clayton State, she has long found it important to stay connected to her alma mater. She currently serves as a member of the Alumni Board of Advisers.
“I supported and attended alumni events, and I think serving naturally evolved,” Lisa notes. “Telling others about Clayton State means a great deal to me.”
She wants other alumni to know Clayton State is poised to become a major supplier of business industry talent, and as that talent gets out in the workforce, a Clayton State degree will only continue to increase in value.
Lisa adds, “Alumni being actively involved and engaged with the University also increases the value of the Clayton State brand.”
In addition to all her other accomplishments, Lisa has served as the Alumni Association commencement speaker on multiple occasions. This is an honor she does not take lightly.
“There are not many times in one’s professional life you can be at a podium where there is that much joy, happiness, and celebration. Looking out and seeing the faces of the graduates lit up with all their hopes and dreams is an experience that never gets old,” Lisa says.
If you would like to get more involved in the Alumni Association, you can email us at alumni@clayton.edu.