Director of Administration for the City of Fulton to Deliver 2023 Commencement Address

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fulton, MO ‒ May 10, 2023: Westminster College announced today that Renee Tyler, Director of Administration for the city of Fulton, will deliver the 172-year-old institution’s commencement address at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Champ Auditorium.

Tyler began her current duties as Fulton’s Director of Administration in April 2022.

She previously served in a number of public service capacities for the cities of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Dubuque, Iowa; and Little Rock, Arkansas. These career advancements were the result of Tyler’s strong interest in public service that originated when she served as Chief of Staff for the Speaker Pro Tempore in the New Jersey Assembly.

Tyler received a BA in Social Welfare from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville and a Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas William Clinton School of Public Service.

In 2016, she completed the Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

In 2022, Tyler successfully advocated for Transit Equity Day/Rosa Parks’ Birthday, an initiative of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.

Among her many other accolades, Renee received the National Community Involvement Award from the American Public Works Association in 2021 and the Public Service Award from the Clinton School of Public Service in 2020.

Tyler is a member of a number of organizations, including the American Public Works Association, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the International City County Managers Association, Missouri Women Leading Government, and the Friends of America’s National Churchill Museum on the campus of Westminster College.

Raised in McGehee, Arkansas, Tyler has one son, Michael, who is a Chicago-based artist; a Silky Terrier named Jordan; and an English Bulldog named Bob.

“Westminster College is truly looking forward to Ms. Tyler addressing the Class of 2023,” said President and Chief Transformation Officer Donald P. Lofe, Jr. “With her extensive experience in both public service and executive leadership, she can offer our graduating class a great deal of insight into what it takes to succeed in today’s competitive job market.”

Tyler’s address is part of a number of commencement activities at Westminster beginning with baccalaureate at 10:30 a.m. in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, part of America’s National Churchill Museum.

Doors to the graduation ceremony will open at 1 p.m., with the ceremony starting promptly at 2 p.m. For those who cannot attend in person, Graduation 2023 will be livestreamed via Westminster’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

Following commencement exercises, graduates will participate in the Columns Ceremony, a time-honored Westminster tradition. Just as they are welcomed as freshmen into the Westminster community by walking through the Columns onto campus, graduates bid farewell to Westminster by walking the opposite direction through the Columns and into the world.

A full schedule of commencement activities can be found on the News and Events page of Westminster’s website.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER COLLEGE: Founded in 1851 and home of Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech, Westminster College in Fulton is ranked prestigiously by U.S. News & World Report as the only National Liberal Arts College in Missouri. It is also listed as one of the top institutions in the country for economic mobility and return on investment, placing in the top 16 percent for graduate earnings with a more than 90 percent placement rate. Westminster is a Forbes Best Value College that focuses on educating and inspiring students to make an impact on the world around them. To find out more about Westminster, please visit our website.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or Sarah.Backer@WCMO.edu.