Eastern Wyoming College Announces Commencement Speaker

May 3, 2010

TORRINGTON, WY –

Eastern Wyoming College is pleased to announce State Representative Edward Buchanan will be the speaker at the 61st annual commencement ceremony. The ceremony will be held on Friday, May 7, 2010 at 7:00 pm in the EWC Fine Arts Auditorium.

Buchanan was born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1967 and moved to Wyoming in 1969. He grew up on a cattle ranch and attended Lingle-Ft. Laramie secondary schools, graduating from Air Academy High School, Colorado Springs, in 1986. He then attended the University of Wyoming and graduated with a B.A. in Political Science in 1990 and concurrently received a commission as an officer in the United States Air Force. Selected for pilot training and the space intelligence program and served as intelligence advisor to senior-level officers of National Command Authority , North American Aerospace Defense, Air Force Space Command and U.S. Space Command.

He served on Active Duty during 1990-1994. Buchanan then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at the University of Colorado in 1994. He worked for the State of Wyoming from 1994-1995 and designed and wrote the State’s Performance Appraisal System and also chaired the task force within the Legislature’s Compensation Commission. In 1995 Buchanan was accepted to the University of Wyoming law school and received a Juris Doctorate in 1998. He was elected as a Representative to the Wyoming State Legislature in 2002; served Chairman of the Judiciary Committee 2006-2008; and is currently the Majority Floor Leader. He is also the principal shareholder in the law firm of Sawyer, Warren & Buchanan, Torrington, Wyoming.

Commencement activities will begin with a light reception for graduates and their families in the Student Center at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7th. The commencement ceremony will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a processional provided by Janet Howard, Pianist. Ms. Janan McCreery, faculty member, will serve as the Director of Ceremonies. The National Anthem will be sung by EWC student, Beth Allan.

Dr. Tom Armstrong, president, will then provide a welcome and introduce special guests. Mr. Rustin Roth, Student Senate President will provide a welcome on behalf of the students. Buchanan will then address the graduates.

Dr. Richard Holcomb, Vice President for Learning, will present the candidates for graduation. Following will be the presentation of Diplomas by Sherri Lovercheck, President of the College Board of Trustees. Eastern Wyoming College Foundation President, Patrick Korell will then present the 2010 Distinguished Alumni award to Richard Van Klaveren. The closing remarks will be spoken by McCreery.

There will be a ceremony to honor the GED graduates on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 5:00 pm in Tebbet 131.

For more information about the commencement ceremony, please call the College at 307.532.8200.