Georgia Southern University Announces Fall Commencement Speakers

December 2, 2008

Georgia Southern University announced speakers for its Fall 2008 Commencement ceremonies that are scheduled for Dec. 12, 2008 at Hanner Fieldhouse.

Due to the expected number of graduates, the Fall Commencement has traditionally been divided into three separate ceremonies at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Speakers for the Fall Commencement ceremonies will be:
9 a.m. Dr. Molly Howard
Principal, Jefferson County High School, Louisville, Ga.
2008 Metlife/NASSP National Principal of the Year
2007 Georgia Principal of the Year
Georgia Southern alumna

11 a.m. Ann Bordelon
Senior Vice President Chief Audit Executive
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

1 p.m. Chris Hobson
Senior Vice President, Research and Environmental Affairs
Southern Company
Georgia Southern alumnus

For information on Georgia Southern University’s Fall Commencement ceremonies, please visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu/commencement.

FALL 2008 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER BACKGROUND INFORMATION
December 12, 2008
9 a.m. Ceremony Speaker – Dr. Molly Howard
Principal, Jefferson County High School, Louisville, Ga.

Dr. Howard serves as principal of Jefferson County High School in Louisville, Ga. She has been the principal since the school’s opening in 1995.
Howard was chosen as the 2007 Georgia High School Principal of the Year and was most recently named the 2008 National High School Principal of the Year, sponsored by MetLife and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Howard received her Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University in 2000. She also earned her Education Specialist degree from Georgia Southern. She earned a Master’s degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Augusta State University and is certified in the areas of mental retardation, interrelated special education, and learning disabilities.

11 a.m. Ceremony Speaker – Ann G. Bordelon
Senior Vice President – Chief Audit Executive
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Ann Bordelon currently serves as the Chief Audit Executive of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., a role she has held since June 2007. In her current role, Bordelon is responsible for overseeing a global staff of 500 in 14 countries. Prior to that, Bordelon was the Vice President of Finance for Wal-Mart’s U.S. real estate division. She also previously held the role of Vice President ? Assistant Controller.

Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Bordelon served as a Senior Manager in Ernst & Young’s Assurance and Advisory Services Business where she served two Fortune 100 clients and other clients in the retail and consumer products industry. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and computer information systems. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Institute of Internal Auditors and Finance Executives International.
Currently, she serves on the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board and International Accounting Standards Board Joint Working Group on Lease Accounting. Bordelon is also a trustee for the Delta Gamma Foundation.

1 p.m. Ceremony Speaker
Chris M. Hobson – Senior Vice President, Research and Environmental Affairs
Southern Company

Chris Hobson is Senior Vice President Research and Environmental Affairs for Southern Company. In this position, he is responsible for system-wide environmental issues and environmental compliance planning as well as research and development of new technology to address future challenges.

Hobson joined Georgia Power in 1973. He held a number of positions, including Manager of Environmental Laboratory, Manager of Agency Affairs in Washington, D.C., and most recently served as Vice President Environmental Affairs for Georgia Power.

A native of Georgia, Chris is a graduate of Georgia Southern University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. Hobson also received a degree from Georgia Tech in Chemical Engineering and, in 2002, he graduated from Harvard’s Advanced Management Program. He has been a member of various environmental organizations, including EPRI’s environmental committee and the research advisory committee, and UARG’s steering committee.