Brenda D. Newberry to Address Graduates at 22nd Commencement of St. Charles Community College

Published: 04/28/2010

More than 650 students are eligible to graduate, including students who meet the completion requirements for certificates or degrees as of last December or for March, May, and August of the year 2010, according to Kathy Brockgreitens-Gober, dean of enrollment services.
 
At least 67 candidates will receive the Associate of Applied Science degree, at least 74 will receive the Associate of Science degree, another 38 will receive the Certificate of Achievement, 441 will receive the Associate of Arts degree, and 36 will receive the Associate of Arts in Teaching degree. Others who are finishing up requirements as of this summer were also eligible to apply for spring commencement, Brockgreitens-Gober said. Nearly 176 graduates will receive the “honors,” 
“high honors,” or “highest honors” distinction, and many of them are members of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of community colleges.
 
The fifth annual Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to James Dreyer of St. Charles, video producer for the City of St. Charles’ local government cable channel. Dreyer attended SCC from 1997-98. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication with emphasis in video production from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Michael Lissner, president of the SCC Foundation Board, will present the award. 
 
The student speaker will be Madori Renae Adfield, an Associate of Arts degree graduate from Wright City, Mo. 
Joseph Hartnett, professor of business, will serve as the commencement marshal.
 
This year’s commencement speaker, Brenda D. Newberry, is the chairman and founder of The Newberry Group, a global IT consultancy specializing in cyber security, and a principal with Nesher LLC, a consulting firm specializing in speaking and writing on diverse business, board, leadership and life management topics. Newberry serves on the board of directors of Laclede Group Inc. (NYSE:LG) and Enterprise Financial Services Corporation (NASDAQ:EFSC). She also serves on several nonprofit boards such as SSM Healthcare, United Way of Greater St. Louis, Webster University and several others.
 
Newberry has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland European Division, a master’s degree in business management from Webster University and an honorary doctorate from Lindenwood University. She and her husband, Maurice Newberry, are longtime supporters of the SCC Foundation, where Maurice is an emeritus member of the SCC Foundation Board.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.