Prairie State College Celebrating 57th Annual Commencement May 21

More than 300 graduating Prairie State College (PSC) students will cross the stage this week, during the 57th annual commencement ceremony at the college on May 21, 2016.

This year’s commencement speaker is Michael O. Wortham, a PSC alumnus and regional director of U.S. government relations at Enbridge.

A graduate of Bloom Trial High School in Chicago Heights, Wortham started his college career at PSC in 1988. He transferred from PSC to Lewis University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and continued on to receive a Master of Public Administration from Governors State University (GSU).

Following graduation from GSU, Wortham’s professional career began with Chicago Public Allies (AmeriCorps), where he served under then Executive Program Director Michelle Obama. Having become the chosen Ally to GSU, Wortham managed the implementation of the nationally recognized five-pronged educational and human services initiative Learning In Context Partnership (LIC). Following his year-long AmeriCorps service, he was promoted to University Planner, managing the day-to-day activities of the partnership in consultation with the presidents of GSU, PSC, and the various community and civic stakeholders. He then was named assistant to the president for diversity, government affairs and community outreach in 2000, and then associate vice president for legislative and trustee relations in 2007.

Wortham left GSU in 2007, when he accepted a position as associate director for budget and planning in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. In 2013, Wortham began working with Enbridge as senior advisor for government affairs. He was soon promoted to his current role as regional manager of U.S. government relations, where he oversees the government relations and community outreach for a majority of the Midwest states. He also remains active on several industry and nonprofit boards in Illinois and Indiana.

Throughout his personal and professional career, Wortham has remained committed to assisting others in realizing their educational and career goals, and has been instrumental in developing and implementing the Enbridge Pipeline Industry Awareness Scholarship in partnership with community colleges throughout the states of Illinois and Indiana, including PSC.

More than 550 students will graduate from PSC with associate degrees and certificates this year. For more information about PSC's commencement ceremony, contact the Office of Student Affairs at (708) 709-3546.