Gandarilla, Holden to give commencement addresses May 9 and 10

As they get ready to enter the workforce or advance their careers, Wingate's latest crop of graduates will hear from a pair of commencement speakers who are heavily invested in the workforces of today and tomorrow.

On May 10 and 11, spring 2024 grads will hear from Dr. Daniel Gandarilla, a high-ranking human-resources leader in the healthcare field, and Cecilia Holden, who is making sure that North Carolinians are obtaining postsecondary degrees in sufficient numbers to meet demand.

On the two days, 600 total students - 393 undergrads and 200 graduate students - will be eligible to cross the commencement stage. The University is also awarding two honorary doctorates. The ceremony for master's and doctoral students will be held May 10, while the undergraduate event will be on May 11. Both ceremonies will begin at 9 a.m. and will be held under the oak trees in the Academic Quad.

Gandarilla, who will give the commencement address to graduate students on May 10, is senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Advocate Health, the parent company of Atrium Health. Gandarilla, who previously served as the senior vice president and chief talent officer for Advocate, has strategic oversight of leadership- and management-development initiatives, performance management, succession planning and talent identification, career development and mobility, and strategic workforce planning. He also has responsibility for talent acquisition in Greater Charlotte.

Previously, Gandarilla served as vice president and chief learning officer for Texas Health Resources. Outside of healthcare, he has worked at P&G, in independent consulting, and as a teacher in the U.S. and Mexico.

Gandarilla holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and political science and a master's degree in education from Stanford University. He also holds an MBA and a doctorate in education with an emphasis in talent management from Texas Christian University.

Holden, who will address undergraduates on May 11, is president and CEO of myFutureNC, a statewide initiative focused on North Carolina's educational-attainment goal. MyFutureNC is working to ensure that, by 2030, 2 million North Carolinians between the ages of 25 and 44 have a high-quality credential or postsecondary degree. As of now, North Carolina is projected to have fewer such people than it needs six years from now.

Among other public-service roles, Holden served as chief of staff for the North Carolina Department of Commerce and as director of government and community affairs for the State Board of Education. Her private-sector experience includes positions with IBM and a registered investment advisory firm.

Holden holds an MBA from Duke University, a certificate in public administration from the University of North Carolina School of Government, and a bachelor of science degree in computer science and business from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Honorary doctoral degrees are going to George Bower and Lyons Gray. Bower, a retired attorney from Anson County, is the trustee for the James R. and Bronnie L. Braswell Charitable Trust. Gray, former chief financial officer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is chair of the board of trustees for the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation. Both the Braswell Trust and the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation provide scholarships for several Wingate students.

Not just the commencement ceremonies are on tap over the weekend. On May 10 at 4 p.m. in McGee Theatre, graduating students will have the opportunity to hear from the Rev. Kate Murphy from The Grove Presbyterian Church in Charlotte during the annual Baccalaureate service. Baccalaureate is a faith-centered event featuring reflections from graduating students, scripture readings and a homily. The service also honors the faculty and staff whom graduating seniors have nominated to receive the Mentor Medallion.

Originally from Louisville, Ky., Murphy studied biology and music at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. She received her master of divinity and master of sacred theology degrees from Boston University and began her career at a multicultural, inner-city church in South Boston.

Murphy moved to Charlotte in 2004 to become associate pastor for the youth and children's ministry at Cook's Memorial Presbyterian Church. In 2008, she became the pastor of Hickory Grove Presbyterian Church (now The Grove Church).

Learn more about commencement at Wingate.

May 1, 2024

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