February 16, 2024
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) is pleased to announce the speaker for its 125th Commencement Exercises will be Shannon Holsey, president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. This year’s Commencement will be held Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 11 a.m., in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts sits on the ancestral land of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians.
In addition, MCLA will confer honorary doctorates to four outstanding individuals: President Holsey, Massachusetts State Senator Paul Mark, Mass Humanities Executive Director Brian Boyles, and former president and CEO of Child Care of the Berkshires Anne Nemetz-Carlson.
“I am excited to have Shannon Holsey as the keynote speaker for this year’s Commencement,” said MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D. “Her dedication to community service, leadership, and advocacy for Native American rights aligns with our commitment to producing well-rounded, socially conscious graduates. I look forward to the inspiration and wisdom she will undoubtedly share with our graduating class.”
Shannon Holsey, Doctor of Humane Letters
Holsey's remarkable leadership and commitment to the well-being of her community has
earned her three terms as president of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians,
following her eight years as a member of the Tribal Council. Raised on the Stockbridge-Munsee
reservation in Bowler, Wisconsin, Holsey has dedicated herself to ensuring the Tribe
serves as responsible stewards of economic, environmental, cultural, and intellectual
resources.
Holsey also serves as the president of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, which represents 12 member tribes across 45 counties with a land base of about 1 million acres. She is an appointee to the Wisconsin State Legislature’s Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations and holds numerous positions on various councils and committees, showcasing her commitment to advocating for Native American rights and well-being.
Holsey's professional background is as diverse as her leadership roles. She served as the director of hospitality at the North Star Mohican Casino, the Stockbridge-Munsee’s primary gaming facility and revenue source. Her experience also includes serving as the executive director of Red Lake Nation Boys & Girls Club, general manager of Pine Hills Golf Course, and interim director of education, employment and training, and cultural affairs for the Stockbridge-Munsee Tribe. Holsey was also chosen as an Electoral College Representative to vote for the President of the United States in 2016.
Holsey's philosophy on leadership is deeply rooted in fostering the growth of Native American economies, preparing students for success, delivering high-quality healthcare, protecting the environment, upholding tribal sovereignty, and addressing the unique challenges faced by tribal communities.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration magna cum laude and a master’s
degree in strategic leadership and communication from Seton Hall University, as well
as a master’s degree in human resources and employment relations from Penn State University.
“President Holsey is an impressive selection for the 2024 Commencement keynote speaker
and honorary doctorate nominee,” said MCLA Board of Trustees Chair Brenda Burdick.
“We are thrilled to honor her and the three other outstanding individuals at our 125th
Commencement for their contributions to the Commonwealth and the Berkshires.”
Senator Paul Mark, Doctor of Public Service
Paul Mark serves as the State Senator for the 57 cities and towns of the Berkshire,
Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District, the largest legislative district in the
history of Massachusetts. Senator Mark serves as chair of the Joint Committee on
Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development, vice chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation,
vice chair of the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets,
and as a member of the Joint Committees on Higher Education; Telecommunications, Utilities,
and Energy; Children and Families; Veterans and Federal Affairs; and Advanced Information
Technology. Before being elected to the Senate in 2022, he served for 12 years in
the Massachusetts House of Representatives as State Representative for the 2nd Berkshire
District.
Since taking office, Senator Mark has advocated for increased public higher education funding and greater access to a college education, student debt relief, and additional funding for vocational programs across our state; as well as Medicare for all, transformative solutions to combat the climate crisis while providing good paying jobs for our communities and ensuring that Western Mass has access to affordable transportation and high-speed broadband internet infrastructure.
Before running for office, Senator Mark was employed as a splice-service technician at Verizon Communications for more than 10 years. He was an active member of the IBEW labor union, of which he remains a dues-paying member, and held many union offices throughout his tenure at the phone company. He earned several college degrees, studying at night and on weekends while working full time and commuting across the state. Paul holds an associate degree in telecommunications from Springfield Technical Community College, a bachelor's degree in economics and finance from Southern New Hampshire University, a master's degree in labor relations studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, and a doctorate in law and policy from Northeastern University. He has been admitted to practice as an attorney in Massachusetts since 2009. He has also been thrilled to have the opportunity to teach as an adjunct professor at MCLA since 2018, teaching political science, government, history, and law.
Anne Nemetz-Carlson, Doctor of Humane Letters
Anne Nemetz-Carlson served as the president and CEO of Child Care of the Berkshires
(CCB) for 39 years, from 1983–2022. She holds a master’s degree in early childhood
management and a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of Michigan.
After college, Nemetz-Carlson was a Peace Corps volunteer on the small island of Ebeye
in the Marshall Islands, teaching English as a second language in a small private
elementary school.
Before joining CCB, Nemetz-Carlson worked as a teacher, an education specialist, and a child care program director. She taught curriculum, programming for infants and toddlers, and child care administration courses as an adjunct professor in early childhood education and management at MCLA, Berkshire Community College, and Southern Vermont College.
Under her leadership, Child Care of the Berkshires increased in size and added a wide variety of key programming to improve the lives of children and their parents. Nemetz-Carlson oversaw the addition of the Healthy Families Program, the Williams College Children’s Center, the Parenting Partnership Program, the ParentChild+ Early Literacy Program, the Family Net/Resource Center, and the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Nemetz-Carlson coordinated a major renovation and improvement project of the former 100-year-old Sarah Haskins School, meeting the promises to make the facility safe, inviting, and accessible to all.
Her volunteer work includes nine years on the Williamstown Elementary School Committee. She is an advocate of high-quality early education, serving on the Massachusetts Association of Early Education & Care (MADCA) board and as a member of the MA Early Childhood Funders Collaborative.
In 2016, Nemetz-Carlson received the Frances Litman Award from the MA Children’s Trust, recognizing her commitment and leadership in family support programming. She received the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s Commonwealth Heroine Award in 2020 and the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.
Brian Boyles, Doctor of Humanities
Prior to his role as executive director at Mass Humanities, Boyles was director of
the Louisiana Humanities Center where he created programs, traveling exhibitions,
and publications as a way to repair and renew dialogue in post-Katrina New Orleans.
He served as publisher of 64 Parishes, LEH’s award-winning quarterly, and “New Orleans
and the World: 1718–2018,” an anthology commissioned by the New Orleans Convention
and Visitors Bureau.
His first book, “New Orleans Boom and Blackout,” explores the conflict, ambitions, and secret histories of post-Katrina New Orleans as it prepared for the 2013 Super Bowl. It was selected as the citywide read in 2015.
Boyles joined Mass Humanities as its new executive director on October 15, 2018. During his tenure, Mass Humanities has grown its impact as a grant maker focused on supporting grassroots organizations, delivering more than $7.7 million in direct funding to nonprofits across Massachusetts. With support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Mass Cultural Council, Mass Humanities delivered more than $3 million in pandemic recovery grants.
Boyles is a native of Pittsburgh. He graduated from Tulane University and began his career working in publishing at Simon & Schuster. He and his partner have two young children together.
For more information about MCLA’s Commencement ceremony, visit www.mcla.edu/commencement.
About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught
by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive
on every level of their lives. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA
is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully
empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 129-year commitment
to public education, we have fortified our commitment to equitable academic excellence.
MCLA has appeared on U.S. News’ list of Top Ten Public Colleges for nine consecutive
years – ranking No. 7 for Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for a third year. The
College's continued commitment to affordable education and economic prosperity is
reflected in its list of National Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Mobility since
the organization adopted this ranking in 2019; No. 1 in the state, No. 2 in the country,
and No. 22 for National Liberal Arts Colleges. These rankings measure how well schools
graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants. Learn more at www.mcla.edu.
