Colleen Wegman to Deliver Keynote Address at College Commencement

Colleen Wegman, president of Wegmans Food Markets, will deliver the keynote address at the St. John Fisher College commencement ceremony, which will see baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral students receive their diplomas.

“We are honored to have Colleen serve as the keynote speaker at our Commencement ceremony. Her professional and personal accomplishments and demonstrated commitment to the community are a great example for our graduates,” said Gerard J. Rooney, president of the College. “The values of the College align so closely with those of the Wegmans company, and we look forward to the wisdom and advice she will offer.”

Founded in 1916, Wegmans is a family-owned supermarket chain with 92 stores in six states. Ms. Wegman first joined the company in 1991 and was named president in 2005.  Locally, more than 600 Fisher alumni and current students work or intern with the company, and many have received scholarships through the Wegmans Employee Scholarship Program, which began in 1984.

The Wegman family have been benefactors of the College for more than 60 years. The late Robert B. Wegman—Ms. Wegman’s grandfather—joined the Board of Trustees in the 1960s, and over the years, his philanthropic efforts helped transform both academic and co-curricular aspects of the Fisher student experience. In 2005, a $5 million gift led to the foundation of the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, and a year later, an $8 million gift—the largest in College history—established the Wegmans School of Nursing. Both gifts enabled the College to build facilities to house the Schools, which boast state-of-the-art laboratories and learning spaces.

At the ceremony, Ms. Wegman will follow in her grandfather’s footsteps, becoming the second family member to receive an honorary degree from the College; a first for the institution. In 1985, Mr. Wegman was given an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws by then-president, Rev. Patrick O. Braden, C.S.B.; Ms. Wegman will receive an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.

“It is a special honor to be part of this year’s commencement at St. John Fisher College,” said Wegman.  “We have had a long-standing partnership and connection with the school that started with my grandfather, and we are very proud of that.  We respect Fisher’s mission, and we know that their values align with ours.  I look forward to celebrating the Class of 2017.”

A 1993 graduate of the University of Colorado, Ms. Wegman also holds a master’s degree from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Food Marketing Institute, and locally, has held several positions with the United Way of Greater Rochester, including board chairperson.