College Announces Honorary Degree Recipient and Granite State Award Recognition

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and Barbara Skuly Honored for Contributions to Public Service

Keene State College will honor two extraordinary women this May, during the College’s commencement ceremony on May 9. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, will receive an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Ms. Roosevelt will also be the speaker at this year’s commencement ceremony. Barbara Skuly has been selected to receive this year’s Granite State Award for the tremendous impact she makes through volunteer service.

“I am very pleased to recognize both of these distinctive women during one of the most inspirational events on our campus – our commencement ceremony,” said Keene State College President, Dr. Anne Huot. “The work and dedication of Anna and Barbara illustrate the very meaning of civic engagement, one of the key values at the College. Through the examples provided by both women, this year’s graduating class can learn how one person can contribute profoundly to the lives of others and to our environment, helping to make a difference for generations to come. It is truly our honor to mark this special day in May with both women.”

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (known as Anne) is recognized with the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for her remarkable contributions to public service, following in her grandparents’ footsteps. Ms. Roosevelt is the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, a not-for-profit social enterprise with over 2,000 employees serving Maine, New Hampshire and northern Vermont. Ms. Roosevelt joined Goodwill in 2011 from The Boeing Company in Chicago, where she had held the position of Vice President, Global Corporate Citizenship. Ms. Roosevelt’s career has encompassed leadership positions in philanthropy, public policy, politics, the arts and higher education. In 2013, she was presented with the Queen’s Commissioners Medal of Merit of The Province of Zeeland in The Netherlands, in recognition of her work carrying forward the legacy and values of her grandparents through the annual joint presentation of the Four Freedoms Awards. Currently, she chairs The Roosevelt Institute Board of Directors, serves on the Boards of the Maine Community Foundation, and Net Impact. Ms. Roosevelt is a Fellow at the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College.

Also recognized is Barbara Skuly, chair of the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee. Keene State College has selected her to receive the 2015 Granite State Award in recognition of her remarkable contributions to the Rivers Management and Protection Program of New Hampshire. Her sustained and dedicated leadership in presiding over the Ashuelot River Local Advisory Committee, co-founding and chairing of the Ashuelot River Water Quality Monitoring Program, participation in the New Hampshire River Restoration Task Force, the Ashuelot Valley Environmental Observatory group and her past role on the board of the New Hampshire Rivers Council demonstrates just how much difference one individual can make. Previously, Ms. Skuly worked for 30 years as a RN at Cheshire Medical Center, and today continues her service at the hospital through per diem work in the recovery room. Ms. Skuly’s additional service to the community through her advocacy for environmental conservation and her affiliation with multiple state and local organizations made her the clear selection for this year’s award.

For more information about this year’s Commencement program, visit www.keene.edu/commencement/.