Dr. Stacey Horn, MBA, MS, DBA, PMP
Dr. Stacey Horn, MBA, MS, DBA, PMP, is a seasoned project management and marketing operations leader with a career spanning IT, healthcare systems, and strategic business transformation. She began her professional journey in information technology at Trinity Health, where she spent approximately a decade as an ambulatory implementation specialist building, implementing, and supporting EMR and EHR systems. In this role, she worked closely with physician practices to ensure smooth system transitions, serving as a key liaison between clinical offices and technical support teams. Over time, her responsibilities naturally expanded into project-based leadership, ultimately sparking a passion for project management that would shape the next phase of her career.
She transitioned into formal project management at Blue Cross Blue Shield, where she progressed through multiple leadership roles, including Business Technology IT Manager, Senior Project Manager, and ultimately Senior Marketing Project Manager. Throughout her tenure, she successfully navigated multiple organizational restructures while continuing to deliver results and lead cross-functional initiatives. In her current role, she oversees marketing campaigns for both Medicare and commercial populations, managing end-to-end execution across corporate communications, CRM systems such as Salesforce, external vendors, procurement, and campaign strategy. Her work blends operational precision with strategic marketing execution, ensuring successful delivery during critical enrollment periods and ongoing customer engagement efforts.
In addition to her corporate leadership, Dr. Horn serves as an adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University and the University of Phoenix, where she teaches healthcare administration and healthcare marketing. She is deeply committed to student success, emphasizing personalized feedback, accessibility, and mentorship in her teaching approach. She is also the founder of Legacy Scholar Mentoring LLC, where she focuses on supporting students and emerging professionals through academic and career transitions. Across both her professional and academic roles, she is driven by a commitment to mentorship, equity, and empowering others to see their potential and succeed in complex, evolving industries.
• PMP
• Doctorate in Business Administration
• Doctorate in Business Administration with concentration in Project Management from Franklin University
• Previous doctoral coursework in IT Information Management with concentration in Education (incomplete)
• Featured in Influential Women 2026 Edition
• Project Management Institute (PMI)
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience and the willingness to start over when life knocks you down. My proudest accomplishment is my doctoral degree, which I started in 2017. In 2018, my father was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and passed shortly after, and I had to take an extended leave from my program. I was gone for a year and two days, just two days over the allowed year, and they dropped me from the program with no appeal process. All my coursework was done, I was literally on chapter 3 of 5 of my dissertation, and it all felt like it was just flushed down the toilet. I was grieving my father and grieving the accomplishment that I thought I was going to have, something my father was extremely proud of me for. I took another year off, went through grief counseling and therapy to deal with it all. In 2022, I decided to pick myself up, dust myself off, and find another school to see if my credits would transfer. I switched from a doctoral in IT information management with a concentration in education to a Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in project management. They took about 30-ish hours of my credits, which was better than nothing, so I essentially started over. Here I am at the finish line. I walk May 31st, and I defended my dissertation February 6th and passed it with no edits, no future edits. It was a one-and-done thing. A lot of people would have just said never mind, this is not for me, and it did cross my mind, but deep down I knew that I could do it. Some people have told me they would feel embarrassed or too upset to tell this story, but this is a story of resilience, so why would I be afraid to talk about resilience? That's not a badge of shame. As a result of that journey, I ended up writing and publishing a book called First Generation Doctoral Student, based on journal notes I had been jotting down. I didn't have anyone in my family or immediate friends that I could go to for guidance. I honestly don't have anyone in my immediate family that even went and got a graduate degree. This was really just based on notes from a few high school friends and putting all my trust in my committee to help me along the way. The two doctoral programs were polar opposites, so I was really forging new territory. My success comes from refusing to let setbacks define me and from being willing to be vulnerable about the struggle so others know they can make it through too.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I have two nuggets of advice for young women getting started in project management. First and foremost, I always push the PMI, the Project Management Institute. They're full of seasoned people who don't mind being mentors. They have a mentorship program that's completely free. You sign up for it, they pair you with a seasoned project manager, and once you become a member, the books are now downloadable and free. If you want a hardcover or printed version, they're like $70, but those PMP and CAPM books are priceless when you're thinking about certifications down the line. Second, if you're working in a company or organization, I always push mentorship. Advocate for yourself and advocate that you want a mentor. You don't just want someone who can answer questions, but someone who can lay out the guidebook for you. What certifications do I need? What should I be focusing on? What do you think is most important in this field? Also, know which route you want to go. Project management has many different doors you can open: construction, IT, marketing, and so many different areas. For me, I always felt like you should try a little bit of everything to see where you land, or at least talk to other people that are seasoned in different areas. See what feels like home to you before you commit to just one area of expertise. If you know you love marketing, then that's the place for you. If you're not sure, absolutely advocate for yourself to get a mentor, someone who can help you along the way. Don't stumble trying to figure it out on your own, because no one gets to where they are by themselves. Everyone has had help, regardless of whether they advertise it or tell you. Everyone has had help in some way, shape, or form.
Locations
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
600 E. Lafayette Blvd.,, Detroit, MI 48226