After 21 years, Career Services & Placement has an opening for a new director.
Stepping in while the search is on to fill Vernicka Tyson’s place as interim director is Phil Gardner.
“I am excited about this,” Gardner said. “There are a lot of opportunities and I plan to take advantage of them.”
Gardner has been the interim director of the department since Tyson’s retirement Jan. 3. He has run MSU’s Collegiate Employment Research Institute within the department for 15 years.
“We are looking at some new things and we are just now meeting with contacts from colleges and departments to throw some things out onto the table,” he said. “It won’t stand at a sit still - we are going to push status quo ahead.”
Some strategies Gardner plans on tackling include watching out for employment opportunities, he said.
“We want to sustain opportunities in case the economy slows down more than it already has,” he said. “I don’t want to get caught at the end of the semester and find students not having jobs,”
Gardner’s temporary position was granted by Lee June, the vice president for Student Affairs and Services.
“What we are doing is filling on interim basis while we do search for someone permanently,” June said. “The issue became to find who the best person is within the unit to take the leadership and continue some of the initiatives while we are doing the search.
“Dr. Gardner was the natural person to assume to position of leadership.”
Gardner will remain the director until around the beginning of the next fall semester, June said.
“I am confident he will do a good job,” he said.
Linda Gross, the assistant director of Career Services & Placement agreed.
“Phil is an outstanding person for an acting director,” she said. “He is well known nationally as well as highly respected in the field.”
Gross said she also felt strongly about Tyson’s performance.
“I can’t say enough about Vernicka Tyson’s outstanding leadership over the past 21 years,” she said. “She will leave a lasting legacy and will be missed.”
Gross plans to continue working with Gardner on accomplishing goals the Career Services & Placement department has.
“We will try to improve ways to deliver career services and increase employment opportunities for students at all levels,” she said. “This really is a great way to begin the new year.”
