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Commencement Scheduled for Saturday, May 11, Elizabeth Roberts to be Keynote Speaker

May 8, 2013. On Saturday, May 11 at 11 a.m., graduation caps will be seen soaring through the air at Lees-McRae’s annual commencement ceremony. Among the noteworthy attendees will be this year’s keynote speaker, Ms. Elizabeth H. Roberts, former Director of the Financial Stability Institute (FSI) at the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, Switzerland.

2017691360163071584-2Lees-McRae is honored to welcome Ms. Roberts to campus. Prior to joining the Financial Stability Institute (FSI), she was a staff member of the Federal Reserve Board’s Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation for more than twenty years. In 1993, she was appointed manager of the Division’s International Policy Section where she developed, among other things, the Federal Reserve’s program for supervising the U.S. operations of foreign banks. Ms. Roberts has also worked in the International Division of First Union National Bank (now Wachovia) and in retail banking at a community bank in the U.S. State of Virginia. Since her retirement, she has continued to work in the area of global financial stability, primarily through special assignments with the International Monetary Fund.

Ms. Roberts has a Masters degree in international finance from the American Graduate School of International Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree in German Studies from Sweet Briar College. She also studied for a year at the Ludwig Maximilian Universitaet in Munich, Germany.

In addition to an exciting keynote speaker, commencement weekend will be full of exciting events including a Baccalaureate Dinner and Baccalaureate/Hooding Service on Friday. The Baccalaureate Dinner will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in MacDonald Dining Hall. Family and friends are welcome to attend. The cost is: $14.00 adults, $7.00 children 6-12 yrs., and free for children 1-5 yrs. Guests must purchase a ticket in advance to attend the dinner. Tickets can be purchased through the Registrar’s Office by calling 828-898-8256. There is no cost for graduates. After dinner, the Baccalaureate/Hooding Service will take place in Hayes Auditorium at 7 p.m.

With Saturday’s commencement exercises scheduled to be on Tate Lawn, weather permitting, parking will be available at the following sites: Chaffee Administration Building, Stinson, Hayes, Avery, and Williams Physical Education Center parking lots. Signs will be posted for shuttle service at each location. The college has reserved parking spaces for guests with mobility impairments; however, the total number of parking spaces is limited. To park in one of these reserved spaces, a valid permit is required. In addition, areas within the seating section have been reserved for wheelchair users and handicapped individuals.

For more information on Commencement at Lees-McRae, please contact the Registrar’s Office at 828-898-8856 or click here to visit the graduation page of the Lees-McRae College website.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, four-year college offering diverse baccalaureate degrees, strong athletic programs and outstanding faculty. With 850 students hailing from 40 states and more than 10 countries, Lees-McRae’s broad core curriculum is enhanced by field-specific career preparation and experiential learning with an emphasis in leadership and service. For more information, please visit www.lmc.edu or call 828-898-5241.