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During this year’s fall Homecoming festivities, Cyndi Howell Joiner was named the 2014 Lee University Distinguished Alumnus, the highest honor awarded by the university.

“Cyndi has combined those two qualities that colleges most like to see in their alumni: professional achievement and commitment to their alma mater,” said Lee president Dr. Paul Conn in presenting the award. He said Joiner represents “all those alumni who are now reaching the full maturity of their promise as undergraduates. We are proud of her and believe that alumni like her hold the key to the future of our university,” Conn said.

Joiner, a 1982 communications graduate of Lee College, is the daughter of two Lee alums, Jerry and Cherrie. Her husband Randy and son Blake are also Lee alums. While at Lee, Joiner was president of Delta Zeta Tau (DZT) and a little sister for Alpha Gamma Chi. She chaired the fundraising campaign for DZT’s 50th Anniversary this year.

After graduating from Lee, Joiner went on to earn a master’s of business administration from Pfeiffer University and completed Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation. Over the past 25 years, Joiner has worked for companies and clients to drastically reduce third-party spending. She has written articles on cost reduction strategies and managing outsourcing relationships for American Banker, Purchasing Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and “Spend Matters.”

Joiner is currently a managing director and member of the executive committee with Alvarez and Marsal’s Performance Improvement practice, where she specializes in procurement transformation, cost take out, organization design, and third-party risk management. Alvarez and Marsal, headquartered in New York, is the global leader in restructuring, turnaround, and corporate performance improvement.

Since joining the firm in 2008, Joiner has worked with companies such as Staples, Best Buy, Family Dollar, Morgan Stanley, Coca-Cola, BB&T, Regions, Cole Haan, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, and AARP to systematically change methods and processes for reducing supplier spending.

Joiner is also active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and Junior Achievement. She also sponsors Harvest, Alvarez and Marsal’s young consultant mentoring program. She and her husband reside in Atlanta, Georgia.

PHOTO: Pictured here is Conn, right, presenting Joiner with the Distinguished Alum of the Year award during Homecoming 2014.