Southern Miss Alumni Association Welcomes New Manager of Programs

The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association recently welcomed BayLee Long as the organization's new manager of programs.

BayLee, an Athens, Tenn., native, earned a degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2013. In May of 2015 BayLee will receive a master's degree in higher education/student personnel from the University of Mississippi.

Prior to this role, BayLee was the graduate assistant for Student Activities at the University of Mississippi, where she advised the Student Activities Association and the Big Event Committee and assisted in planning all major campus events, including concerts, Welcome Week activities, Homecoming and much more.

Her past experience in the field of alumni affairs includes serving as Student Alumni Council president and serving as a Tennessee State Representative through CASE ASAP. BayLee also held the Clarence J. Jupiter Fellowship through CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) and worked closely with the University of Mississippi Alumni Association.

As the manager of programs, BayLee is the Alumni Association's primary event planner, manager of scholarships, and oversees Ogletree House rentals. Among other duties, BayLee will plan and coordinate many of the organization's internal functions, including Homecoming festivities, commencement receptions and reunions, and will oversee Growing Up Gold, a legacy engagement program designed to create a black-and-gold bond with children and grandchildren of Southern Miss alumni.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to work at The University of Southern Mississippi,” shared BayLee. “From the first time I visited the Hattiesburg campus, everyone was so incredibly welcoming. As I begin my role as manager of programs, I look forward to combining my two passions – event planning and connecting with alumni by working to provide a multitude of programming opportunities for alumni engagement.”

“BayLee encompasses all the qualities needed to excel in the role of manager of programs,” said Alumni Association Executive Director Jerry DeFatta. “Homecoming and Growing Up Gold are only two of the many important tasks she has been charged with. Our alumni events and programs are essential to the life of the organization, and we are fortunate to have been able to hire someone with previous success in a multitude of these areas.”