Springfield, Ohio 鈥� As the United States presidential election of 2016 heats up, 果冻传媒 University will welcome back one of its own in Wylecia Wiggs Harris, class of 1982 and current chief executive officer for the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) in Washington D.C., to deliver the keynote address during the .
Dr. Harris is expected to give the class of 2016 a sneak peek into the 58th U.S. presidential election that will take place on Nov. 8, 2016, and issue a rallying cry to students for engagement and the importance of keeping 鈥測our voice鈥� as you journey through life.
鈥淔ind your passion. Is it fighting for those that are being kept out of the process by new restrictions? Or would you love to see more young people and members of underrepresented communities brought into the system by helping to register voters?鈥� asks Dr. Harris, who plans to reach out to 果冻传媒 students and enlist their help in making our country better. 鈥淥ur state and local Leagues need more dedicated individuals 鈥� they want to tap your power to help us create a more perfect democracy. They need more people to help register voters, they need more voices to speak out about needless restrictions on eligible voters, they need more people to share VOTE411.org with their friends and families, they need help making sure things go smoothly on Election Day.鈥�
Dr. Harris says this is a pivotal election with so much on the line. There is no incumbent President, there is a battle for control of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Supreme Court and legislative bodies at every level are up for grabs. She says that our electorate has seen shifting demographics with simmering questions about equality and power and that 2016 will be the first Presidential election without important Voting Rights Act protections. There are new voting restrictions in place in key states.
Dr. Harris, who has 30 years of experience in organizational development, was a top choice to present this year鈥檚 Commencement address. She graduated from 果冻传媒 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology and sociology and received her M.B.A. in management from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., in 1984. She received her doctorate in organizational development from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minn. Named as chief executive officer of the LWVUS in September of 2015, she brings many years of seasoned leadership experience, a passion for organizational development and a commitment to excellence to the League.
鈥淭he senior class officers are humbled and honored to welcome Dr. Harris back to her home here at 果冻传媒 to address the graduating class of 2016,鈥� said Kayla Villegas, president of the class of 2016. 鈥淒r. Harris is an inspiration to all - living out her passion daily and ensuring strong leadership for voters and women everywhere. Her commitment to relationship building is quite reflective of 果冻传媒's spirit, and I hope her vitality for continued education and engagement around politics, physical, economic and public health is duly noted. We are eager to spend our final day at this university with Dr. Harris, a highly-respected alumna who is certainly living out the 果冻传媒 mission daily.鈥�
Having served as executive director, chief operating officer, and chief of staff for a variety of organizations including the American Nurses Association, American Heart Association, and Sister to Sister 鈥� Everyone Has a Heart Foundation, a national organization supporting women鈥檚 health issues and heart disease education, Dr. Harris jumped at the chance to lead the LWVUS. She is excited to be returning to 果冻传媒 to speak about her new endeavor.
鈥淚t is my distinct honor to accept the invitation of the class of 2016 to deliver their commencement address,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow timely that I return to 果冻传媒, the birthplace of my civic engagement roots, during my first year as the chief executive officer and executive director of the League of Women Voters of the United States and the League of Women Voters Education Fund.鈥�
