{"id":7144,"date":"2021-02-04T17:21:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-04T17:21:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/?p=7144"},"modified":"2021-02-04T17:21:43","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T17:21:43","slug":"marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may\/","title":{"rendered":"Marymount names commencement speakers for three ceremonies this May"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In mid-May, approximately 975 students will receive their degrees over the course of three days during Marymount University\u2019s 70<sup>th<\/sup> annual commencement ceremonies. The newest graduates of the mission-based Catholic university will hear from three distinguished commencement speakers \u2013 influential Virginian James Dyke, Jr., entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila Johnson and business leader Donald Graham.<\/p>\n<p>Both Dyke and Johnson will receive honorary degrees during the commencement ceremonies. Graham, who previously received an honorary degree when he was a commencement speaker at Marymount in 1990, will be presented with the Mother Gerard Phelan Gold Medal, which is awarded for achievements of an exemplary nature. Past recipients have included First Lady Nancy Reagan, Baroness Maria von Trapp and others.<\/p>\n<p>For the first time, the ceremonies will be organized by College instead of by undergraduate and graduate levels:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Friday, May 14: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/academics\/college-of-health-and-education\/\"><em>College of Health and Education<\/em><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Speaker: James Dyke, Jr.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><em>Saturday, May 15: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/academics\/college-of-sciences-and-humanities\/\"><em>College of Sciences and Humanities<\/em><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Speaker: Sheila Johnson<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><em>Sunday, May 16: <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/Academics\/college-of-business-innovation-leadership-and-technology\/\"><em>College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology<\/em><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Speaker: Donald Graham<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The ceremonies will include students who qualify for graduation from the Fall 2020, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 semesters. While they are currently planned to be held in person and outdoors, they are subject to change based on health guidance from the CDC and the Commonwealth of Virginia. See below for more information on the commencement speakers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>James Dyke, Jr.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7146\" src=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/3.jpg\" alt=\"James Dyke, Jr.\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/3.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/3-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dyke is a Senior Advisor of State Government Relations at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwcllc.com\/\">McGuireWoods Consulting<\/a>. He previously served as Virginia\u2019s Secretary of Education under Gov. Douglas Wilder, and as domestic policy advisor to former Vice President Walter Mondale.<\/p>\n<p>He has been a prominent figure in politics for over 30 years, and has broad career experience in corporate, legislative, education, governmental relations, economic development and municipal law. He was recently named to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiabusiness.com\/virginia-500\/\">Virginia 500: The 2020 Power List<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.virginiabusiness.com\/\">Virginia Business<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2010, Dyke was elected chairman of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bot.org\/\">Greater Washington Board of Trade<\/a>, the largest regional business organization in the Washington area. He has also served on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wmata.com\/about\/board\/\">WMATA Board of Directors<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fairfaxchamberca.com\/\">Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce<\/a>, Northern Virginia Business Roundtable and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.schev.edu\/\">State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV)<\/a>, in addition to his work as a member on <a href=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/about-mu\/about-becerra\/board-of-trustees\/\">Marymount University\u2019s Board of Trustees<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Sheila Johnson<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7147\" src=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1.jpg\" alt=\"Sheila Johnson\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Johnson is the Founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.salamanderhotels.com\/\">Salamander Hotels &amp; Resorts<\/a>, which operates a collection of luxury properties with over $200 million in revenue located in Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and Jamaica. She\u2019s also Vice Chairman of <a href=\"https:\/\/monumentalsports.com\/\">Monumental Sports &amp; Entertainment<\/a>, and is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams \u2013 the NBA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/wizards\/\">Wizards<\/a>, NHL\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/capitals\">Capitals<\/a> and WNBA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/mystics.wnba.com\/\">Mystics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s well-known for co-founding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bet.com\/\">Black Entertainment Television (BET)<\/a>, and becoming the first African-American woman to attain a net worth of $1 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Johnson has fervently supported education and the arts through fellowships at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hks.harvard.edu\/\">Harvard Kennedy School<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jackierobinson.org\/\">Jackie Robinson Foundation<\/a>. She\u2019s also served as a global ambassador for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.care.org\/\">CARE<\/a>, a leading humanitarian organization that combats global poverty by empowering women. In recognition of her efforts and accomplishments, she\u2019s received several awards that include the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, the Lincoln Medal Award and the Women\u2019s Sports Foundation Billie Jean King Leadership Award.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Donald Graham<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7148\" src=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2.jpg\" alt=\"Donald Graham\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/2-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Graham is the Chairman of the Board for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ghco.com\/investor-overview\">Graham Holdings Company<\/a> (NYSE: GHC), and former publisher of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/\">The Washington Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>After graduating from Harvard, he served in Vietnam with the 1<sup>st<\/sup> Cavalry Division and then as a patrolman with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. Graham then joined The Washington Post as a reporter, and soon was elected to the company\u2019s board in 1974. He succeeded his mother, Katharine Graham, as Publisher of The Washington Post in 1979, a position he held until 2000. In addition to his leadership positions at Graham Holdings Company, he has also served on Facebook\u2019s Board of Directors, and is a trustee of the Federal City Council and Gates Policy Initiative.<\/p>\n<p>Graham co-founded and served as Chairman of the <a href=\"https:\/\/dccap.org\/\">District of Columbia College Access Program<\/a>, which has helped double the number of DC public high school students going on to college and has provided scholarships for thousands of DC students. Graham co-founded <a href=\"https:\/\/thedream.us\/\">TheDream.US<\/a>, the nation\u2019s largest college access and success program for DREAMers. Marymount University is one of the program\u2019s founding partner colleges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; In mid-May, approximately 975 students will receive their degrees over the course of three days during Marymount University\u2019s 70th annual commencement ceremonies. The newest graduates of the mission-based Catholic university will hear from three distinguished commencement speakers \u2013 influential Virginian James Dyke, Jr., entrepreneur and philanthropist Sheila Johnson and business leader Donald Graham. Both [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":7145,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[404,400,402,396,401,403,399,398,15,397],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.3 (Yoast SEO v22.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Marymount names commencement speakers for three ceremonies this May - Marymount University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The 2021 commencement speakers at Marymount include influential Virginian James Dyke, Jr., entrepreneur Sheila Johnson and business leader Donald Graham.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Marymount names commencement speakers for three ceremonies this May\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The 2021 commencement speakers at Marymount include influential Virginian James Dyke, Jr., entrepreneur Sheila Johnson and business leader Donald Graham.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Marymount University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-04T17:21:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Tri-shot.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"420\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"nmunson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"nmunson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/marymount.edu\/blog\/marymount-names-commencement-speakers-for-three-ceremonies-this-may\/\",\"name\":\"Marymount names commencement speakers for three ceremonies this May - 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