First, I wish to thank all the graduates and their families who attended the 2013 CSU Commencement Ceremonies.
It was so wonderful to see so many faces at this special occasion. The cheers and screams of joy made the day a truly fun event. I also was pleased to see our students so excited to meet face-to-face the faculty and staff who helped them on their educational journey.
To all the graduates and guests, I would like to extend my thanks to you for coming to our beautiful home on the Gulf Coast. A special thanks to our guest speaker Waldorf College President, Bob Alsop for a rousing message filled with humor and advice. My thanks to the Board of Trustees, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon and former Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System Bradley Byrne. You helped make this a remarkable day for all!
In addition to the commencement ceremony, the Alumni Reception held at the beach was exceptional. We couldn’t have asked for better weather or a more beautiful sunset over the Gulf.
In addition to graduation last month, we were also busy with the following meetings and projects:
We welcomed CSU program directors during graduation week who work and live in different parts of the country. These program directors spent time attending training and planning for the future. Thank you for your dedication and efforts to help our students’ succeed.
CSU recently broke ground on a new facility to house CSU’s growing administration and efforts to provide better services to our student body. The new facility will allow us to host much larger training events on site. We are very excited about this new building, as we have grown so much since the current facility was built in 2009. Thank you all for supporting and growing with us.
We held our quarterly meeting of the Board of Trustees on-site in Orange Beach the week of graduation. CSU truly has an outstanding board. There were several policies and publications reviewed and approved. Additional information will be forthcoming.
The Company Officer Academy was conducted in Gulf Shores, Alabama, to offer a dynamic program for fire officers to be effective in the firehouse and fire ground. Led by veteran fire chiefs Rick Lasky and John Salka, the Company Officer Academy attracted a great group and was enjoyed by many.
Also, Veterans Day occurred on Nov 11th. CSU is very proud and honored to serve so many veterans and active-duty military. You have our sincere gratitude for your service to protect our great nation.
Lastly, as we near Thanksgiving, I would like to thank our students and alumni for choosing CSU to help you reach your educational goals. To the CSU faculty and staff, thank you for your commitment to CSU’s vision and mission of changing lives through education. As we look toward the new year, I am so thankful to have your support and dedication to help others.
Happy Thanksgiving!