Cynthia Haldenby Tyson’s Legacy Honored Through $1 Million Investment in Leadership Education

Cynthia Haldenby Tyson, Ph.D., had a foundational role in shaping Queens into the mission-driven educational institution it is today. From her years as a professor to her tenure as dean and vice president for academic affairs and her more than a decade serving on the Board of Trustees, the impact of Tyson’s leadership continues to be felt by many in the Charlotte community.

Tyson’s legacy will soon come to life through the Cynthia Haldenby Tyson Executive Leadership Center for the McColl School of Business, made possible by a $1 million investment from the Robert Haywood Morrison Foundation.

The newly established Center will position Queens as a convener for corporate and nonprofit leadership in the region. Designed to host executive education and training, the Center will strengthen partnerships with Charlotte’s leading companies while supporting workforce development and talent retention. By connecting corporate leaders with faculty expertise and emerging talent, the Center will attract sustained investment and play a critical role in advancing Charlotte’s business and leadership ecosystem.

“Rapid changes in technology and connectivity have created new challenges for developing, designing, and delivering world-class executive education and leadership development programs to our professional community,” shared Will Sparks, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Leadership and Executive Education (CLEE).

Sparks added, “This investment will help ensure that we have the best-in-class facilities to deliver on our promise of transformational learning and development experiences that help our clients realize their full potential and, in doing so, change the world one organization at a time.”

The new Cynthia Haldenby Tyson Executive Leadership Center will be located on the third floor of Sykes Learning Center and will transform into an environment built for dynamic, inclusive, and engaging teaching, influencing student and client outcomes, and faculty effectiveness. Investments in flexible classroom furnishings and upgraded instructional technology alongside modernized spaces will create a future-ready training space for today’s community leaders.

“For more than three decades, the executive education programming designed and delivered by the McColl School of Business has helped professionals discover the leader within,” shared Denise Rotondo, Ph.D., dean of the McColl School of Business. Creating a modern environment conducive to cohort-based adult learning and consistent with the high quality of our programs is essential to our future success.”

For the Robet Haywood Morrison Foundation, this investment is a natural fit. The Foundation honors the Charlotte businessman, environmentalist, and philanthropist Robert H. Morrison. Morrison, who died in 2005, was Tyson’s longtime partner. She went on to serve as president of the Foundation until her death in 2024. Active throughout the community, the Foundation continues to honor the legacy of both Morrison and Tyson.