Centenary Alumnus to Highlight Commencement

The 138th Winter Commencement of Centenery College will be held on Saturday, January 12 at 11 a.m., the college announced.

To be held at the John M. Reeves Student Recreation Center, the ceremony will graduate 247 students and feature keynote speaker and Centenary alum Wolfgang Gstattenbaur.

One of the college’s trustees, Gstattenbauer, ’84, earned his A.S. in Business Administration. The Navy veteran has served two terms on the board of trustees, from 1990 to 2005, and 2008 to present, according to a press release from Centenary College.

Gstattenbauer worked for M&M/Mars for 29 years, finishing his career there as the Personnel Director, responsible for eight manufacturing plants in the USA. 

In addition to Gstattenbauer, John Franklin will receive an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Centenary College, the release said. Franklin is Chief Executive Officer of United Way of Northern New Jersey, a nonprofit organization working to improve people’s lives and strengthen communities. Since Franklin joined United Way 15 years ago, he has positioned United Way as a community leader, challenging the status quo and igniting a community dialogue around the need for long-term systemic change in how government, nonprofit, business and academia approach solutions to poverty and related issues. 

“I am pleased that we can acknowledge these individuals in this manner as we have had a longstanding relationship with Mr. Gstattenbauer and the United Way,” says Dr. Barbara-Jayne Lewthwaite, Centenary College President. “I would also like to congratulate the graduates of 2013 whose hard work and dedication have paid off and who are now alumni of this institution. I wish them the best as they continue their professional or academic journey.”