Tiffin University will host its 136th annual commencement ceremony Saturday, May 4 in the Heminger Center. This year’s keynote speaker will be JoAnn Chávez, Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at DTE Energy. She will receive the honor of being conferred the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. The event will begin promptly at 2 p.m., and guests must be seated by 1:45 p.m. Tickets are not required.
About the Commencement Keynote Speaker
JoAnn Chávez serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at DTE Energy. Chávez has responsibility for the management and strategic direction of DTE’s office of the general counsel and advises DTE’s board of directors and senior management on legal and related matters. Chávez also oversees ethics and compliance, corporate security, corporate emergency management and tax. Previously, she worked as an international tax partner at KPMG LLP. She holds various board positions including DTE Energy Foundation, the Cristo Rey Network, Invest Detroit, the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan and the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute board of directors. She is the past chairwoman of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board of directors. She also sits on the Notre Dame Law School, the University of Michigan School of Education Advisory Councils and the State of Michigan Women’s Commission. Chávez is also a passionate advocate for young people, founding the Michigan Hispanic Collaborative (MiHC) to support first-generation Hispanic students. She has received recognition for her extensive work, including Forbes 50 over 50 and Detroit Crain’s 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan.
Graduation Fast-Facts
- Total graduating students: 825
- Graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees: 425
- Graduates receiving masters’ degrees: 359
- Graduates receiving Ph.D. degrees: 22
- Graduates receiving master’s degrees with distinction (4.0 G.P.A.): 163
- Graduates receiving bachelor’s degrees with honors (3.5 G.P.A.): 228
- Washington D.C. and U.S. states represented: 39
- Diverse countries represented: 29
For more information and to watch the livestream of the event, please visit tiffin.edu/about/commencement/.