Mardy Leathers, director of the Missouri Division of Workforce Development and an alumnus of William Woods University, will give the university's 2018 graduate commencement address April 28.
Commencement Saturday will begin with the traditional Ivy Ceremony at 9:15 a.m., followed by the undergraduate ceremony at 10 a.m. The graduate commencement ceremony will follow at 2 p.m.
"As a professions-oriented university, we are happy to provide an opportunity for our graduates to hear from an expert in workforce development, leadership and connecting workforce programs to the needs of Missouri's business community," said Jahnae H. Barnett, president of William Woods University. "Mr. Leathers' message about developing a skilled workforce and its importance to growing our state's economy could not be more timely for our graduates."
On Oct. 30, Leathers was appointed as director of the Missouri Division of Workforce Development, a state agency that oversees the services that the state provides for job seekers and businesses. A division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, DWD operates Missouri Job Centers around the state and works with a variety of strategic partners to enhance the skills of Missouri's workforce to meet the ever-changing needs of the state's business and industry.