Jacqui Vines, vice president and general manager of Cox Communications in Baton Rouge, will be the first speaker of the fall semester in LSU's Flores Master of Business Administration Distinguished Speaker Series. Vines will speak on Sept. 5, at 10 a.m., in the Lod Cook Alumni Center on LSU's campus.

A Connecticut native, Vines began her professional career with Time Warner Cable in Columbus, Ohio, in 1984. She joined Cox Communications in 1992 as director of human resources in New Orleans, where she stayed until 1995. Vines then relocated to San Diego as vice president of human resources. During her time on the West Coast, she received a B.S. degree in business administration and management from the University of Redlands.

In 2000, Vines moved back to Louisiana to become vice president and general manager of Cox Communications in Baton Rouge. Since coming to Baton Rouge, Vines has helmed a $97 million system upgrade in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas and established Cox 4, a channel devoted to local programming. She also spearheaded the "Cox Diplomacy Initiative," a partnership with LSU, Southern University and local community colleges. The first phase of this initiative included a $5 million investment at LSU to create the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student Athletes.

Vines was named 2003 Business Person of the Year by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report and Junior Achievement, becoming the first woman to be awarded the honor. She is a member of several local community and professional boards, including the Tiger Athletic Foundation Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Executive Committee and the Louisiana Cable & Telecommunications Association Board of Directors.

The Distinguished Speaker Series is an important part of the Flores MBA program. The series enhances students' classroom education by exposing them to the latest ideas and forces that shape American and international business, from executives who face such issues directly.

Upcoming speakers for the fall semester are Eduardo Aguirre, director of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security, on Oct. 24, and Markham McKnight, president and chief executive officer of Wright & Percy Insurance on Nov. 7.

The Flores MBA Distinguished Speaker Series is free and open to the public. Each event begins promptly at 10 a.m. RSVPs are requested.

For more information or to make a reservation, contact Allison Bridgewater, assistant director of the Flores MBA programs, at or 225-578-8867.

View the LSU Press Release

See Calendar of Events for event details.