New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will deliver the spring Commencement address at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Chancellor Holden Thorp will preside during the ceremony on May 13, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. in Kenan Stadium. Bloomberg also will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree.
“Mayor Bloomberg has had an extraordinary career in business, philanthropy and public service,” Thorp said. “His innovative approach to public service as mayor of New York City and entrepreneurship in starting Bloomberg L.P. are experiences that Carolina students can identify with and find inspiration from. We’re honored that Mayor Bloomberg accepted our invitation to speak. He will help make Commencement very special for our graduates and their families and friends.”
Thorp chose Bloomberg in consultation with the University’s Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, which is made up of an equal number of students and faculty.
Bloomberg was first elected mayor of New York City in 2001, just two months after the terrorist attacks on 9/11, a time when many believed that crime would return, businesses would flee and New York might never recover. Instead, through hundreds of innovative new policies and initiatives, Bloomberg is credited with making New York City safer, stronger, and greener than ever.
Published September 26, 2011.