Meet Lori Cordell-Meikle, a 1999 graduate from Athens State University’s College of Business with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. While at Athens State, Cordell-Meikle was raising her three children and working a full-time job.
“Having the ability to go back to school full-time while working full-time helped me accomplish my goal of completing my degree to become more competitive in my chosen career field,” stated Cordell-Meikle. “While it certainly was not easy, it would have been impossible without the quality evening classes offered at Athens State.”
Cordell-Meikle went on to share that the professors at Athens State were more than educators; they were mentors who not only challenged her academically but also imparted valuable real-life lessons about the practical application of her education in the professional world. Despite being full-time working students, the faculty never compromised on standards.
“They (professors) consistently pushed students to reach deeper within for greater achievements,” recalled Cordell-Meikle.
Since graduating, Cordell-Meikle’s professional journey has been nothing short of remarkable, making a lasting impact on the country through her innovation and leadership in the business field. Cordell-Meikle’s current position is with the Army Contracting Command where she is the director of the Internal Review and Audit Compliance Office.
Her latest achievement is creating an automated solution that monitors internal controls, produces more reliable reporting, and minimizes time with end-user execution. She led a team of developers to build a portal for her solution which her command has been utilizing since 2020. Her groundbreaking work caught the attention of the U.S. Army, which adopted her solution in 2023. The portal went live on August 31, 2023, across the entire Army, marking a significant milestone in efficiency and cost savings.
Reflecting on her accomplishment, Cordell-Meikle noted, “At Athens State, I learned the value of innovation and leadership. It’s immensely rewarding to see how my education has translated into real-world impact, saving millions for the U.S. Army.”
The impact of Cordell-Meikle’s automated solution goes beyond the immediate success, which has saved the U.S. Army more than $5 million in design and build costs and is projected to save millions more. Lori’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, as her story has been featured on army.mil, highlighting her as a trailblazer in software development for the U.S. Army. Read the full article here.
We are immensely proud to spotlight Lori Cordell-Meikle as an exemplary Athens State alumna, embodying the spirit of innovation, leadership, and impactful contributions to her field. Her success story reflects the caliber of education and talent that Athens State fosters in its graduates. Congratulations, Lori, on this outstanding achievement!
About the College of Business
The mission of the College of Business is to offer programs of study to students that will prepare them for positions in business, finance, or government, enhance the professional development of those already employed, and provide an academic framework for graduate study leading to professional positions. Through its course offerings, the College of Business provides a high-quality education for all students, teaching them to think critically, use technology efficiently, be effective leaders, decision-makers, and communicators, maintain ethical standards, and understand the global economy. Learn more about the College of Business.