Former MA Gov. Charlie Baker To Speak At Holy Cross Graduation Ceremony

WORCESTER, MA — The College of the Holy Cross has just announced its commencement speaker for this spring, and he’s a well-known figure in Massachusetts.

Charlie Baker, the current president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and former governor of Massachusetts, will speak at the College of the Holy Cross's graduation this spring, the school announced on Tuesday.

The event at the DCU Center in Worcester will take place on Friday, May 22, at 10 a.m. It marks the college's 180th graduating class.

Baker, who is a Swampscott resident, became president of the NCAA in 2023, succeeding Dr. Mark Emmert. He took on the role when his second and final term as Massachusetts governor expired. He didn't run for reelection that year.

Prior to his time spent on Beacon Hill, Baker worked as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. The school said he "guided the company from near bankruptcy to becoming one of America’s top health care plans."

Baker also held leadership roles in state government as Secretary of Administration and Finance and Secretary of Health and Human Services, according to the school's announcement.

And while he didn't attend college in Worcester, he will receive an honorary degree at the ceremony.

He went to Harvard University, where he was a member of the men's varsity basketball team. He also holds a master's in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

The school said it will also award an honorary degree to Tim Garvin, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts.

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