6 P.M., Friday, August 4

*Note: The Army and Navy Commissioning Ceremony will take place on August 4 at 6 p.m.

For more information, call (850) 599-3413

MEET OUR SPEAKER

James E. Nevels

Chairman of The Swarthmore Group

James E. Nevels is chairman of The Swarthmore Group, an investment advisory firm he founded in 1991 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Swarthmore is one of the largest minority-owned investment advisors in the country, managing approximately $2.1 billion in institutional assets for a diverse group of clients.

A native of Greensboro, Alabama, Nevels practiced law from 1978 through 1984 as counsel in bond transactions with the law firm of Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll in Philadelphia. He has more than 36 years of experience in the securities and investment industry.

From 1984 until 1991, he was vice president of Prudential-Bache Securities and Smith Barney, Harris Upham & Co. At Smith Barney, he was responsible for analyzing and structuring taxable and tax-exempt fixed income credits in transactions totaling in excess of $750 million.

Nevels serves on the board of directors of three public companies including First Data and Alcoa Corporation and as lead independent director of WestRock. He is currently a member of the board of The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, the Board of Trustees of PGA REACH, the Board of Trout Unlimited and the Council on Foreign Relations. He previously served as chairman (2009-2015) and lead independent director (2015-2017) of The Hershey Company and a member of the board of the Hershey Trust Company and Milton Hershey School.

He was appointed by former President George W. Bush to the Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and served a three-year term, 2004-2007. He served as chairman from 2005-2007.

He is an honors (Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa) graduate of Bucknell University and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy, a Master of Business Administration from The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania, and a juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Nevels has also received four honorary degrees.

His awards and honors include the NYSE Governance Services Inaugural Leadership Awards Non-executive Chairman of the Year Nomination (2014), American Jewish Committee Civic Achievement Award Recipient (2005), the Bucknell University Humanitarian Service Alumni Award (2009), the Emma Sloat Rendell Education Award (2007) and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Award of Excellence (2005).

The Philadelphia Tribune has listed him as “One of Philadelphia’s Most Influential African Americans” (2004).

Campus parking will be extremely limited. Please make all necessary arrangements. Carpool when possible. Obey all parking restrictions.

Parking for both ceremonies includes Bragg Stadium, the parking garage and adjacent University parking lots, including Howard Hall.

Patrons with limited mobility may be dropped off at the front entrance of the Lawson Center on Wahnish Way.

Reserved disabled parking is available in the Gaither Gym parking lot for those drivers with appropriate DMV disability parking placecards on their vehicle. In addition, there is a row of designated Disabled Parking spaces in the Bragg Stadium parking lot adjacent to the Lawson Center.

Illegally-parked cars may be subject ticketing, towing or immobilization.