Ken Bennett to Speak at Embry-Riddle's Fall Commencement
Prescott, AZ, November 24, 2009
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will hold their Fall Commencement Ceremony for 125 candidates for graduation Saturday, December 12, 2009, at 10AM in the Activity Center located on Embry-Riddle's Prescott campus at 3700 Willow Creek Road. The Guest speaker for commencement will be Secretary of State Mr. Ken Bennett.
The Prescott Commencement Ceremony will graduate six students from the Master of Science in Safety Science Program, 25 from the College of Engineering, 31 from the College of Arts & Sciences, and 36 from the College of Aviation. The Commencement Ceremony will also include 27 graduates from various Worldwide Campuses. In addition to the graduation ceremony, the Embry-Riddle Army and Air Force ROTC programs and the Marine Platoon Leadership program will commission their new second lieutenants.
Secretary Bennett is a valued supporter of Embry-Riddle. He was selected by Governor Janice K. Brewer to replace her as Secretary of State and was sworn into office on January 26, 2009. An Arizona native, Secretary Bennett was born in Tucson, AZ and resides in Prescott, AZ. with his wife Jeanne Tenney Bennett. Secretary Bennett began his public service career when he was elected to the Prescott City Council in 1985. He served a four year term and was Mayor Pro-Tempore in 1988.
Bennett served in the State Senate from 1999 to 2007, representing Legislative District 1. He was President of the Senate during his last four years in office. He also served as Republican Floor Leader in 2002, and as Chairman of the Education Committee in 2001 and 2002. In 2007, Bennett received the Polly Rosenbaum Award from the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records in recognition of his unfailing support of the State Library's mission to preserve Arizona's history and to provide access to information on the state.
Prior to his legislative career, Bennett served for seven years on the Arizona State Board of Education, and was President of the Board in 1996 and 1998. He also served on the Arizona Charter Schools Board for three years. Bennett was a founding member of the Education Leaders Council in Washington, D.C.
Since leaving the Senate in 2007 because of term limits, Bennett has been working with companies to develop alternative energy sources and energy efficient building technologies. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Global Building Systems Inc. and Energy Tech America in Prescott. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Cancer Treatment Centers of America - Western Regional Medical Center in Surprise, Arizona, and EMTA Corporation in Scottsdale. Bennett served as CEO of Bennett Oil Company, a family fuel distribution business from 1985 to 2006, and continues on its Board of Directors.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
