2020 Framingham State Commencement Speakers Announced

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Associated Press White House reporter Jonathan Lemire and Pine Street Inn President Lyndia Downie will speak at the 2020 Framingham State University commencement ceremony on May 24, the university said Wednesday.

Downie will speak about her leadership of the Pine Street Inn, the largest homeless services provider in the Boston area. She began at the organization in 1984, and now oversees an organization that helps about 2,000 unsheltered people every day.

“We are honored to have her address our graduating Class of 2020. I’m certain she will leave them inspired to head out into the world and do good for others," Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos said in a statement.

Lemire, a Lowell native, is the nephew of Framingham State professor Stephen Lemire, who oversees the university's healthcare administration program. Lemire began his career at the New York Daily News, and now covers the Trump administration and serves as a political analyst for NBC.

"We live in an age of rampant disinformation," Cevallos said. "Journalists like Jonathan Lemire are critical to helping the public separate fact from fiction, so that they can make informed decisions."

Both Lemire and Downie will receive honorary degrees from Framingham State.