National service leader Wendy Spencer to address ASU public service grads
Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, will deliver the keynote convocation speech for spring 2015 graduates of Arizona State University’s College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
More than 850 students and 8,000 guests are expected to attend the college’s convocation ceremony at 9 a.m., May 14, at ASU’s Wells Fargo Arena.
“Through the academic and career paths they have chosen, our students demonstrate a commitment to affecting positive change in our communities,” said Jonathan Koppell, dean of the College of Public Service and Community Solutions. “Wendy’s vision as a national leader in this area will serve as recognition of their accomplishments and an inspiration as they embark on the next phase of their careers.”
“It is an honor to address the students of Arizona State University’s College of Public Service and Community Solutions,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “ASU is a trailblazer for colleges and universities across the nation by finding ways to make service of all kinds a priority for its community. The graduates have made a commitment to make the world better than the way they have found it, and I’m grateful to ASU for helping to shape the next generation of public service leaders.”
Spencer began her duties as the chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service on April 9, 2012, shortly after her nomination by President Obama was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She is the first CEO to come to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) directly from the field of national service.
CNCS is a federal agency that administers AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, the Social Innovation Fund, and other programs that engage millions of Americans in service and volunteering to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement.
ASU recently became the first university to sign up as a charter Employer of National Service by pledging to hire those who have demonstrated commitment to public service as alumni of AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps.
Spencer has been recognized nationwide for her leadership in the volunteer sector. In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Spencer to the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., she served as the CEO of the Florida Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism under Governors Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, and Rick Scott. She also served as the director of the Florida Park Service, where she oversaw natural resource and recreational management for 158 state parks.