PBSC to Hold Two Commencement Ceremonies on May 9
Palm Beach State College will hold two commencement ceremonies May 9 for its more than 3,200 spring graduates. State Sen. Kevin Rader and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam will be the keynote speakers.
Rader, who represents District 29, will speak at the 9:30 a.m. ceremony for the combined 1,383 graduates of the Associate in Science, Bachelor of Applied Science and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs and the certificate programs.
Putnam, a fifth generation Floridian who grew up on his parents’ citrus and cattle farm, will speak at the 2 p.m. ceremony for the 1,839 graduates of the Associate in Arts transfer degree. Both ceremonies will be held at the South Florida Fair Expo Center. The ceremonies will be streamed live at www.palmbeachstate.edu.
The class includes 35 high school dual enrollment and early admission students – up eight from last spring. All but three of the students are from Palm Beach County’s public schools.
Rader, who resides in Delray Beach, also serves as an alternate chair for the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, is vice-chair of the Agriculture Committee and sits on Health and Human Services Appropriations, Governmental Oversight and Accountability and the Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Committee.
He is an Agency Principal at CKP Insurance, an independent agency in Boca Raton. He is a licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent (220 license) and a licensed Life Insurance Agent (216 license) in Florida. His area of expertise is insuring the nation’s beekeepers and agricultural products. He is also active in the Florida Association of Insurance Agents.
Rader is a graduate of Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting. He is inspired by his wife Rabbi Amy Rader and their four children Caleb, Ruby, Yael and Ezra.
In his role as Commissioner of Agriculture, Putnam has fought for the betterment of all Floridians by committing to put Florida first. Under his leadership, Florida’s agricultural exports have increased by $1 billion, bringing in millions of dollars in revenue and creating thousands of careers. He also created Florida’s Farm to School initiative, increasing students’ access to healthy produce by connecting schools across the state with local farms.
In his role as a member of the Cabinet, Putnam has dedicated himself to making Florida the most veteran-friendly state in the nation. He has worked to protect and strengthen Florida’s military presence, while other states are being forced to close bases and reduce operations. He created Operation Outdoor Freedom to honor the men and women who have fought to defend our freedoms by providing opportunities for wounded veterans to enjoy Florida’s great outdoors at no cost. Putnam also waived fees for discharged veterans and their spouses to enter new professions or open businesses.
He lives in Bartow with this wife Melissa and their four children. He is a proud Florida Gator.
For more information about commencement, visit www.palmbeachstate.edu/graduation.
