United Way CEO to speak at winter graduation

United Way of America President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Gallagher has been selected as this December's commencement ceremony speaker, breaking the mold of politicos and media hot-shots that have frequented the university's farewell ceremonies.

Gallagher oversees the United Way's network of more than 1,300 local charities. His non-profit organization addresses local needs such as improving health care access, providing youth services and rebuilding impoverished communities.

Matt Hirsch, chairman of the senior council committee that selects the commencement speaker, said Gallagher was chosen for his inspirational work with the nation's largest community service organization.

"I wanted someone who had a positive impact on the community," Hirsch said. "Something like charity obviously relates to everyone. It's a universal thing."

The politically saturated climate of this month's national elections deterred the council from selecting a politician, as they had in previous years, Hirsch said. He also said the committee did not bother asking a celebrity such as The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, whom the council targeted last year, because celebrities are expensive and hard to book. University policy does not allow the commencement speaker to be paid.

Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Gallagher spearheaded the United Way's effort to raise $10 billion for the development of mixed income housing, college scholarships and quality public school education in the devastated Gulf Coast regions.

The United Way has organized community assistance since 1887, when a priest, two ministers and a rabbi collaboratively raised donations for Denver's underfunded welfare agencies. Gallagher joined the United Way in 1981, working as a chapter president for several United Way charities across the country before his promotion to president and CEO in 2002.

He was also selected as this year's speaker because the president's office told Hirsch that Gallagher expressed interest in speaking at the university in the past, Hirsch said.

The committee considered several alternative speakers, including Pat Sajak, the host of the popular game show Wheel of Fortune, committee members said.

The chosen speaker has generally been a politician or media personality. U.S. Sen. Paul Sarbanes spoke at the May 2006 ceremony to commemorate his 20 years representing Maryland. Sarbanes retired this year and will be replaced in the Senate by Rep. Ben Cardin. NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell spoke in 2005, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in 2004, Rep. Chris Van Hollen in December 2004 and Google co-founder and university graduate Sergy Brin in December 2003.

After the president's office selected The (Baltimore) Sun editor and Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Marimow in 2002 and Fannie Mae CEO Frank Raines in 2003, students urged university President Dan Mote to allow them to take over the selection process in the hopes of drawing more enthralling speakers.

Mote complied in 2003 and allowed a committee headed by two students - one from the Student Government Association and one from the senior council - to select the keynote speaker. Since then graduates have heard inspirational speeches, often from non-celebrity speakers such as College of Education associate professor emeritus John Splaine in December 2005. The committee has attempted to attract speakers such as former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton for past ceremonies but were unsuccessful.

Finding prominent speakers who are available during the holiday season has been an especially difficult task, Hirsch said.

"I think it's nice to have the representatives of the senior class actually have the majority of the input instead of the university making the decision," said Hirsch, a marketing and logistics major who is graduating after this semester. "December is a hard time because it's right before the holidays, so a lot of people are not around... It's such a complicated process to get a speaker."

This semester's main commencement ceremony will be held Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Comcast Center.

Contact reporter Ben Block at blockdbk@gmail.com.