Stephen Tirey joins Southwest Florida College

“A College Listening to Employers” – it’s not just a slogan, it’s the underlying philosophy of who we are and why we are here. Graduate placement and employer relations are a high priority for the College and today we have taken a major step in demonstrating how important those core values really are. Throughout the coming year, we will commit human and capital resources to expand and improve our graduate placement activity and our relationships with business, industrial, and political leaders.

Stephen Tirey, former CEO and President of The Chamber of Southwest Florida, has joined the College as Director of Industry Partnerships and Graduate Placement. Tirey has served as the CEO of the chamber since 1989 and has worked with many business and political leaders throughout the state and the nation in an effort to improve the economic climate of Southwest Florida and to make it a better place to work, live and conduct business.

In his new role, Tirey will concentrate on pulling together all of the College’s graduate placement activities into a single, cohesive and organized endeavor. A visionary and strategic thinker, Steve will be working with the College’s Advisory Boards and our faculty as together they transition our educational programs into competency based education to achieve defined employer-mandated outcomes. Mr. Tirey will assist the College in obtaining strategic industry partners, employer endorsements for every program of instruction, expanding externships and cooperative education, and the development of an active alumni network.

The College is a major stakeholder in Southwest Florida. Steve’s experience will help us identify new program opportunities that will, among other things, serve as a magnet to attract new business and industry to the area. We intend to leverage his experiences and skill sets to benefit our students, our graduates, the College and the community as a whole.

Southwest Florida College is an accredited, private institution of higher learning that is listening to employers and providing its students with placement assistance in today’s most demanding career fields. The college is located in Fort Myers, Tampa, Port Charlotte and Bonita Springs. The Institute of Interior Design is also located within the Bonita Springs campus. For more information, call toll free 888‐279-2342 or visit www.swfc.edu.