State government leaders to speak at Kennesaw State University’s 83rd commencement ceremonies

Three of Georgia’s top state officials will address nearly 1‚700 graduates during Kennesaw State University’s 83rd commencement ceremonies on May 10 and 11. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle‚ Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker and Georgia Secretary of State Karen C. Handel will serve as speakers. All three ceremonies will be held in the KSU Convocation Center on campus.This spring‚ the College of Humanities and Social Sciences will graduate the highest number of students with 424 graduates‚ followed by the Coles College of Business with 411 graduates. Following is a breakdown of the number of degrees being awarded by each college:College of Humanities and Social Sciences: 424Coles College of Business: 411Bagwell College of Education: 392College of Science and Mathematics: 209WellStar College of Health and Human Services: 176College of the Arts: 61University College: 3(For the complete story‚ please click on the headline above.)

Georgia (May 7, 2007) — Three of Georgia’s top state officials will address nearly 1‚700 graduates during Kennesaw State University’s 83rd commencement ceremonies on May 10 and 11. Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle‚ Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker and Georgia Secretary of State Karen C. Handel will serve as speakers. All three ceremonies will be held in the KSU Convocation Center on campus.

This spring‚ the College of Humanities and Social Sciences will graduate the highest number of students with 424 graduates‚ followed by the Coles College of Business with 411 graduates.

Following is a breakdown of the number of degrees being awarded by each college:

College of Humanities and Social Sciences: 424
Coles College of Business: 411
Bagwell College of Education: 392
College of Science and Mathematics: 209
WellStar College of Health and Human Services: 176
College of the Arts: 61
University College: 3


When:
Thursday‚ May 10‚ 2 p.m.
Speaker: Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle
Graduates from the Coles College of Business and the WellStar College of Health and Human Services will be honored.

Thursday‚ May 10‚ 7 p.m.
Speaker: Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker
Graduates from the Bagwell College of Education and the College of Science and Mathematics will be honored.

Friday‚ May 11‚ 10 a.m.
Speaker: Secretary of State Karen C. Handel
Graduates from the College of the Arts‚ the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the University College will be honored.


Biographies of the speakers follow:

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle

On November 7‚ 2006‚ Casey Cagle made history by becoming the first Republican ever elected to the state’s second−highest office. As Georgia’s 11th Lieutenant Governor‚ Cagle is working to make Georgia a state where every citizen‚ regardless of his or her current circumstances‚ can achieve the American dream. He is committed to creating an environment in which Georgia’s citizens and businesses can prosper.

Cagle was first elected to the state Senate in 1994‚ where he served 12 successful and productive years representing the 49th District. During his time in the Senate‚ Cagle served as chair of the Finance Committee and on several other key committees‚ including the influential Appropriations‚ Banking and Financial Institutions‚ Higher Education‚ and Natural Resources committees. He has been a staunch supporter of lowering taxes and protecting private property rights‚ as well as a passionate advocate for protecting Georgia’s families. In 1999‚ Cagle was instrumental in the passage of “Heidi’s Law‚” which toughened penalties for repeat drunk drivers.

In recognition of his achievements and his commitment to Georgia‚ Georgia Trend Magazine listed Cagle as “One of the 100 Most Influential Georgians” of 2006. James Magazine also named him one of its “People of the Year” for 2007. He currently serves as vice chair of the One Georgia Authority‚ vice chair of the Georgia State Finance and Investment Commission‚ and on the Executive Committee of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association.

Born in Hall County – a seventh−generation resident – Cagle graduated from Johnson High School and attended Gainesville College and Georgia Southern University.

Cagle will speak at the commencement honoring graduates from the Coles College of Business and the WellStar College of Health and Human Services.


Attorney General Thurbert E. Baker

Thurbert E. Baker has served as Georgia’s Attorney General since 1997. He has won three statewide elections for Attorney General‚ and in his most recent election‚ he carried 122 of Georgia’s 159 counties.

As Attorney General‚ Baker has focused on fighting crime‚ corruption and consumer fraud. He wrote both Georgia’s groundbreaking mortgage fraud statute as well as Georgia’s financial identity fraud statute‚ allowing law enforcement to break up and imprison fraud rings operating in Georgia. Baker has fought to protect Georgia’s children by proposing and successfully passing legislation that increased penalties for child pornographers and closed loopholes in the state’s child pornography laws. Baker has also been a strong advocate for Georgia’s Open Government laws‚ creating a mediation program in the Office of Attorney General dedicated to working with citizens and local governments to ensure that records and meetings covered by Georgia’s Open Government laws are open to the public. He has also successfully litigated against organizations that refused to turn over documents covered by the Open Records Act.

Prior to his service as Attorney General‚ Baker served five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives‚ including three terms as floor leader for then−Gov. Zell Miller. During his time in the legislature‚ he authored legislation that created the HOPE scholarship program and enacted Georgia’s “Two Strikes and You’re Out” law that puts the worst repeat violent offenders in prison for life without parole.

Baker received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his law degree from Emory University School of Law.

Baker will speak at the commencement for the Bagwell College of Education and the College of Science and Mathematics.


Secretary of State Karen C. Handel

Karen C. Handel was elected in November 2006 and sworn into office on January 8‚ 2007‚ as Georgia’s first Republican Secretary of State. This important constitutional office oversees elections‚ corporations‚ securities and professional licensing boards‚ and also controls the state archives and the Capitol museum. Using her considerable experience in government‚ business and community involvement‚ Handel brings a straight−forward‚ “get−the−job−done” attitude to state government and is not afraid to challenge the status quo.

Handel has held positions in state and federal government as well. She served as deputy chief of staff to Marilyn Quayle in the Bush−Quayle White House‚ where‚ among other things‚ she directed Mrs. Quayle’s breast cancer awareness activities. In 2002‚ Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Handel as his deputy chief of staff.

Prior to joining the Perdue administration‚ Handel was president and CEO of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce‚ where she was directly responsible for working with state‚ local‚ national and international organizations to bring job growth to north Fulton County. She also served as an executive for several major companies‚ including global eye care company CIBA Vision and international accounting firm KPMG.

In 2003‚ Handel was elected chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners‚ becoming the first woman chair for the state’s largest and most populous county. During her tenure‚ Handel cut taxes and spending. She is also credited with passing the strongest ethics laws of any local government‚ uncovering corruption in the sheriff’s department and reforming the tax assessors’ department.

Handel will speak at the commencement matriculating graduates from the College of the Arts‚ the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the University College.


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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 38,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.