NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED AT MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP OF LOUISIANA

BATON ROUGE – Dayna Blanchard, a longtime leader with nearly two decades of experience with the MEP Center, has been named as the next director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana.

Effective March 22, Blanchard will lead MEPOL as it works to help all Louisiana manufacturers grow and compete. As director, she will lead efforts to identify the needs mostly of small and medium-size manufacturers and build MEPOL’s capabilities to meet those needs.

“I am excited about the future of MEPOL with Dayna Blanchard as its leader. I look forward to working with her, the MEP team, our colleges, and the manufacturing community in expanding the competitive advantage of the Louisiana economy,” said Dr. René Cintrón, chief education and training officer of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

“I appreciate the opportunity to continue working with the LCTCS colleges to collectively assist our manufacturing community in all areas.  I look forward to connecting our industry workforce needs with the knowledge and resources of the MEP National Network,” Blanchard stated.

Blanchard held several roles during 18 years with MEPOL where she has been responsible for a number of leadership functions including adherence to compliance standards, budgetary analysis and reporting, and formulation of organizational positions and performance goals.  Most recently, she maximized the yearly federal obligation and led the integration of six community colleges into the foundation of the MEP Center through sub-recipient contracts expanding the service/delivery model to a statewide footprint.

Her previous work experience includes Business Analyst and Accountant at Accenture in Houston, TX and Financial Assistant for the US Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette, LA.

Dayna has an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She is a Kaplan native, lives in Broussard, and has two children.

About the Louisiana Community and Technical College System
The Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) provides strategic management and support for Louisiana’s 12 community and technical colleges. LCTCS colleges award associates degrees, technical diplomas, and industry-based certificates in programs aligned with business and industry and local economies, which lead students to good in-demand, high-wage jobs.

About the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPOL) is operated by LCTCS in partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology and a national network of Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, based in every state. MEPOL provides a full range of services to manufacturers, including growth and cost-reduction strategies, website development and branding, process and quality improvement, engineering and prototyping, facility layout and leadership training. All activities are focused on increasing productivity, profitability and manufacturing success. MEPOL also can connect manufacturers to workforce development services offered by all 12 LCTCS colleges.

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