We would like to formally introduce Dr. Lusharon Wiley, our newest Director of Culture here at Innisfree Hotels.

Lusharon comes to us from the University of West Florida, where she was not only the Director of Case Management Services and Senior Associate Dean of Students, but also instrumental in multiple inclusion and diversity groups and programs on campus.

“I worked in both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs at the University of West Florida,” says Lusharon. “I had worked in the TRiO programs for 11 years and when the Dean of Students position was brought back to the university, I was asked if I would be interested in being Assistant Dean.”

And Lusharon was also the first Director of Case Management Services at the University of West Florida, where she worked with students who had numerous problems including mental or physical health issues. She also was on the Medical Withdrawal Review Committee, which evaluated whether students were eligible for a medical withdrawal based on health conditions.

Being an effective mediator, a big part of our Director of Culture position here at Innisfree, was a skill Lusharon honed as Student Ombudsperson.

“As Ombudsperson, I would often have to facilitate discussions between faculty and students as well as student-to-student,” she says.

Lusharon became aware of Innisfree Hotels’ community involvement and outreach shortly before the Director of Culture job opening.

“When I saw the Director of Culture position open, it was as if it was magnified on my screen,” she says. “I read the job description and I was sold on it. It was because of what I knew about Innisfree, their culture and the feedback from the community that made this position attractive to me.”

Lusharon finds herself working with our current Director of Culture, Jack Guillebeaux.

“I see Jack as the guru for Innisfree,” she says. “I’m growing and learning and so happy to be working with him.”

As someone who is new to the hospitality world, Lusharon finds herself coming to Innisfree from a different angle.

“I think I bring simply a new perspective, never having been in the hotel industry nor the service industry,” she says. “I’m looking forward to expanding the conversation beyond Innisfree to let the greater Pensacola community know what it is that Innisfree does in terms of its connectedness and care. At a minimum, I would like to be a person that is willing to listen.”

Lusharon is eager to start her new chapter with Innisfree Hotels.

“I am so excited to be a member of the Innisfree family and look forward to growing together.”