NASA official, businessman to address grads
By Jill Gosche, jgosche@advertiser-tribune.comArticle Photos
An administrator of a federal agency and a businessman have been selected to deliver the commencement addresses at Heidelberg University and Tiffin University.
Tiffin University graduates are to be addressed by retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden, who is the administrator of NASA, May 1 in Gillmor Student Center's gymnasium. Heidelberg graduates are to hear from Colorado businessman John Kelley May 8 in Seiberling Gymnasium.
The Rev. Shari Prestemon, a United Church of Christ minister, is to speak during Heidelberg's baccalaureate ceremony.
Bolden was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, according to a TU release.
Gary Heminger, chairman of TU's board of trustees and president of Marathon Petroleum Co., has known Bolden for about a decade because Bolden had served on Marathon's board.
Heminger said he has seen Bolden coach, mentor, speak and display his leadership skills in front of many audiences. He described Bolden as a down-to-earth, passionate, genuine and outstanding person. Bolden has achieved a tremendous amount of accolades and accomplishments in his career, he said.
"He just kept outworking the person next to him," he said.
Heminger said he thinks TU is blessed to have someone of Bolden's stature even consider coming to the university. During the commencement address, Bolden will talk about opportunities, he said.
"He won't speak at the crowd," he said. "He will speak with them."
A release from Heidelberg states Kelley is the chairman of the board of CereScan Corp., which provides high-definition functional brain imaging and is involved in market development for advanced diagnostic imaging.
Jim Troha, Heidelberg's vice president for institutional advancement and university relations, said he met Kelley when Kelley spoke during Heidelberg's business conference in spring 2008. Kelley, he said, delivered what many people thought was a powerful message about business ethics and leadership.
"He wowed everybody," he said.
Troha said Kelley is intellectual and has one of the most friendly and outgoing personalities a person ever could want to encounter. He described him as an authentic and genuine person. When it came time to discuss names for commencement speakers, Kelley's name quickly rose to the top of the list, he said.
"I know he'll do a great job for us," he said.
Troha said Heidelberg officials are delighted, honored and privileged Kelley is going to take some time out of his busy schedule to be at the school the weekend of commencement.
"It's going to be terrific," he said.
Heidelberg has one commencement ceremony for all graduates.
In the past, TU had a graduate ceremony in the morning and an undergraduate ceremony in the afternoon.
This year, the morning ceremony is to be for bachelor's in criminal justice degree completion graduates and master's degree recipients.
The afternoon ceremony is for those enrolled in bachelor's in business administration completion and all other bachelor's and associate's degree graduates. Bolden is to speak during the afternoon ceremony.
People must have tickets to attend the three commencement ceremonies.
