MWCC Commencement Speakers Through the Years

Year Speaker
2022 Chris Gabrieli Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
2021 Stephen M. Brewer Retired State Senator
2020 Maria Milagros Speaker, Coach, Author
2019 The Honorable Lori Trahan US Representative Massachusetts Third Congressional District
2018 The Honorable Charlie Baker Governor of Massachusetts
2017 The Honorable Maura Healey Massachusetts Attorney General
2016 Dr. Daniel M. Asquino President of MWCC
2015 Kevin A. Berg Executive Vice President of Production, CBS Network
2014 Martin T. Meehan Chancellor, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and former seven-term Congressman
2013 Robert Regan MWCC Alum, Director, Kesh Center for Global Communications Innovation and Executive Masters Degree at Ithaca College
2012 Senator Stephen M. Brewer Chairman, Senate Ways and Means Committee
2011 Ben Coes Author and former White House speechwriter
2010 Joyce Landry Co-founder and CEO of Landry & Kling, Inc.
2009 Timothy P. Murray Lt. Governor of Massachusetts
2008 Ron Clairborne Good Morning America News Anchor
2007 Hon. Deval Patrick Governor of Massachusetts
2006 Ronald M. Ansin Renowned Philanthropist
2005 Martha Coakley Middlesex District Attorney
2004 Stephen J. Burton Sports Anchor, CBS 4
2003 Gloria Cordes Larson Massachusetts Secretary of Consumer Affairs
2002 No Speaker
2001 Helen Thomas Journalist, and former Dean of White House Press Corp
2000 Mary L. Padula Massachusetts State Senator, Retired
1999 Dr. Ute Wartenburg Executive Director, American Numismatic Society
1998 Jordan Levy Governor’s Council, 7th District, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1997 Dr. Crystal Keykendall, Ed.D. President , Kreative and Innovative Resources for Kids, Inc.
1996 Susan Wornick WCVB-TV Co-anchor, Midday News
1995 Dr. Richard Lederer Linguist and Best Selling Author
1994 Hon. Edward M. Kennedy Massachusetts U.S. Senator
1993 Hon. Mark D. Gearan Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff
1992 Alvin Poussaint, MD Assoc. Professor of Psychiatry, and Assoc. Dean for Student Affairs, Harvard  Medical School
1991 Hon. Richard E. Neal Second Congressional District, Massachusetts
1990 Ellen Goodman Columnist, Boston Globe
1989 Hon. Mario Cuomo Governor of New York
1988 Carmen Fields WGBH-TV Channel 2 Anchor
1987 Hon. Alan Agnelli Mayor, City of Gardner
1986 Dr. Byron K. Lichtenbert Astronaut, President Payload Systems, Inc.
1985 Dr. Peter R. Pouncey President, Amherst College
1984 Pam Cross WCVB-TV Commentator
1983 Walter R. Peterson President, Franklin Pierce College, former Governor of New Hampshire
1982 Dr. Benjamin H. DeMott Professor, Amherst College
1981 Rev. Donald Baker Chaplin, MWCC Campus Ministry
1980 Linda Harris WBZ-TV, Consumer Travel Reporter
1979 Hon. Edward J. King Governor of Massachusetts
1978 Dr. Charlotte A. Rahaim University of Massachusetts
1977 Hon. Foster Furcolo Governor of Massachusetts, 1957 – 61, Founder of Massachusetts Community College System
1976 Paul Parks Secretary of Educational Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1975 Hon. Stephen J. Erickson Mayor, City of Gardner
1974 Jack Borden WBZ-TV, Boston
1973 No Speaker
1972 Robert F. Drinan S.J. Congressman, 3rd Massachusetts District
1971 Mr. Kenneth Olsen President, Digital Corporation
1970 Dr. Frederick A. Meier President, Salem State College
1969 Judge C. Edward Rowe Athol County Court
1968 Mr. James J. Hammond President, Fitchburg State College
1967 Dr. William C. Venman Assistant to Provost, University of Massachusetts
1966 Dr. Howard B. Jefferson President, Clark University