U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer to Deliver 2016 Commencement Speech

TACOMA, Wash. – U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer, a longstanding advocate for educational and economic justice, will be the Commencement Speaker at the University of Puget Sound’s 124th graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 15.

Three honorary degrees will be conferred on the day in recognition of the exemplary careers and lifelong service of U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer; Superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools, Carla Santorno; and Jeffrey Brotman ’64, co-founder and chair of the board of Costco Wholesale Corporation.

“It is my great pleasure to see these three outstanding members of our community recognized on our campus with an honorary degree,” said President Ronald R. Thomas. “Each of them has lived a life that embodies values aligned with Puget Sound’s mission, as demonstrated in their capacity for critical analysis, sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, and service to their communities. As our graduates step out to pursue their own life goals, they could not ask for better personal illustrations of what is possible in one lifetime and of what difference one individual can make.”

Rep. Derek Kilmer will deliver a talk to the Class of 2016 titled “Transformers: 2016.” He will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Jeffrey Brotman will receive an honorary Doctor of Business degree and Carla Santorno, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The honorary degree is the highest distinction bestowed by the university.

The 2016 Commencement Ceremony will be held in Baker Stadium on Sunday, May 15, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The event is open to the public, as well as to students, friends, and families. A link to a map of the campus is below. Read on for more about the 2016 honorands:

U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer

Representative Kilmer brings more than a decade of service to the Tacoma community and our nation. He has been a fierce advocate for higher education for all by championing affordable student loans and initiatives to reduce debt, an effective promoter of economic development, and a powerful defender of the environment. After being elected to his second term in 2014, he was appointed to the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee.

In Washington D.C., he has earned a reputation for getting things done in a bipartisan manner and was recently named one of the 10 most effective lawmakers in Congress in The Washington Post. In addition to fighting on behalf of our region’s military community, Kilmer has long been committed to protecting local waters and forests—resources that play an important role in our region.

Prior to being elected to the House of Representatives, Kilmer served in the Washington state legislature, representing Gig Harbor, from 2005 to 2007, and afterward in the state Senate.

Kilmer, the son of two schoolteachers, was born and raised in Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He won a Marshall Scholarship to obtain his doctorate in comparative social policy from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford.

Jeffrey Brotman ’64

Jeffrey Brotman is co-founder and chair of Costco Wholesale Corporation, the second-largest retailer in the world. Brotman is known for his enlightened management, offering employees among the best pay and benefits in the retail industry, and, in return, being rewarded with highly-regarded customer service and low staff turnover.

In addition to being an exceptional entrepreneur, Brotman is a committed philanthropist, passionate about education and community engagement. A former member of the University of Washington Board of Regents, he established student scholarships through the College Success Foundation and Independent Colleges of Washington. Other scholarships have supported underrepresented students at Seattle University and the University of Washington. With his wife Susan, he also created the Brotman Awards at the University of Washington, including an award to advance diversity.

The Tacoma-born businessman and his wife have been major supporters of the Seattle Art Museum, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and United Way of Pierce County, among other organizations.

Brotman grew up in a family of retailers and opened a jeans store with his brother soon after graduating. He established Costco in Issaquah, Wash., with partner James Sinegal in 1982, expanding to hundreds of stores in eight countries over the next three decades. Brotman earned both a bachelor’s degree in political science and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington.

Carla Santorno

Carla Santorno has dedicated her career to serving our nation’s public school students. As superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools, her leadership has been key to increasing graduation rates from 55 percent in 2010 to 83 percent in 2015. Santorno’s engagement with the Foundation for Tacoma Students and other community partners helped raised expectations and, ultimately, Tacoma students' academic performance.

In partnership with Santorno, this fall, Puget Sound launched a new commitment to meet the full, demonstrated financial need of Tacoma Public School students who are admitted—furthering decades of collaboration between Puget Sound and local schools.

Santorno’s first role in Tacoma was as deputy superintendent in 2009. She made system-wide changes resulting in increased student achievement and closing the achievement gap between white students and students of color. She continues to be heavily engaged in local civic organizations and this year received the 2016 Women in School Leadership Award from the American Association of School Administrators.

Kansas-born, Santorno, was the first in her family to graduate from high school. She began her career in Denver, serving as a teacher, then as an area superintendent. Santorno holds a Superintendent Certificate from Seattle University and Principal Certification from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She earned her Master of Arts degree in elementary education from the University of Colorado, Denver, and her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Colorado.

For more about Commencement Weekend: https://www.pugetsound.edu/about/offices-services/commencement

For directions and a map of the University of Puget Sound campus: pugetsound.edu/directions 
For accessibility information, please contact accessibility@pugetsound.edu or 253.879.3236, or visit pugetsound.edu/accessibility.

Press photos of the Commencement speaker and honorands can be downloaded from pugetsound.edu/pressphotos.

Photos on page: Commencement 2015 photos by Ross Mulhausen, University of Puget Sound. Honorands photos, courtesy of their office.

Tweet this: #CommencementSpeaker @univpugetsound is @RepDerekKilmer Honors Jeff Brotman’64 @Costco, Carla Santorno @tacomaschools http://bit.ly/226dB5Y

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