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May Commencement Speaker: FKCC President Tyree
4/16/2012 

Florida Keys Community College President Larry Tyree is commencement speaker for the Pensacola State College graduation Sunday, May 6, at the Pensacola Civic Center.

Commencement begins at 4 p.m. and includes about 1,700 Pensacola State students who have earned associate degrees, baccalaureate degrees, certificates and diplomas. All Pensacola State faculty, adjuncts, administrators and professional staff are welcome to participate in the procession.

A Pensacola native and graduate of Pensacola Junior College, Tyree is serving in his ninth presidency and 11th community college at FKCC. He previously held the rank of full professor at the University of Florida, where he was also director of the Institute of Higher Education and executive director of the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges.

Tyree served as a community college CEO for 26 years at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, the Dallas County Community College District in Texas and Santa Fe College in Gainesville. He also served as interim president of five other institutions – including Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., and Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y.

Tyree was named a distinguished alumnus by each of his three alma maters – PJC, Indiana University and UF. He is also a League for Innovation in the Community College Senior Fellow and received the American Association of Community Colleges' National Leadership Award. He was named president emeritus by Santa Fe College and Independence Community College in Independence, Kan.

Tyree also holds the athletics distinction as the first catcher for Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton. Tyree and Sutton recently teamed up in Gonzalez at the Acentria Aggie Classic for the 50th Anniversary of the 1962 Tate High School State Baseball Championship. Both were on the team as the Aggies beat a West Palm Beach high school team, 3-1, to win the state title.

For more information, contact Peter Wilkin at (850) 484-1501, pwilkin@pensacolastate.edu.