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Director of the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute/Associate Professor of Management

Florida Gulf Coast University

As the director of the Southwest Florida Leadership Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University, Meagan Baskin works to bring the classroom back to the community. In doing so, she strives to increase workforce stability in Southwest Florida by developing leadership and workforce training opportunities. And it’s in her role as an educator where Baskin most often shares what she’s learned in her career.

“I’ve learned you have the power to change your reality! Many people stay in situations in which they feel stuck, either because they are unhappy with what they are doing or who they are doing it with,” she says. “Most often we are waiting for something or someone to come along and ‘unstick’ us, but we must be the catalyst for change. Don’t wait; do it yourself. There is so much media attention out there that talks about the art of saying ‘No.’ I think we need to learn to leap!”

Baskin teaches in the areas of ethical decision-making, organizational behavior and human resource management, and has won several teaching awards. Most recently, she earned the 2023 Distinguished Educator Award from the Southwest Academy of Management, a career achievement award for excellence in teaching.