Melissa Picher Kelly
Director-at-Large, Membership Committee

Events and Experiential
British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
mpicher1@bcit.ca

Melissa has 30 years of experience producing high-profile academic events in higher education and advising leaders in academic event strategy. Melissa currently leads the Events and Experiential team at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in the Pacific Northwest, where the team supports key stakeholders to deliver exceptional event experiences that engage our community, reflect the BCIT Brand, and promote the Institute’s vision of Empowering People, Shaping BC, and Inspiring Global Progress. BCIT Events is responsible for multiple convocation ceremonies presented annually in Winter and Spring, as well as over 70 additional events held each year to honor our community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and partners. The team also supports recruitment events, major government announcements, special VIP-speaking presentations, and the Institute’s campus tours program. Melissa’s skill set includes public speaking and script development, marketing and promotions, volunteer management, communications, risk assessment, safety plan development, and protocol. Melissa has been a member of NAACO since 2013, serving previously as Treasurer from 2018-19.

Sondra Schwartz
Treasurer

Associate Director of University Relations
Wilfrid Laurier University

Sondra is the Associate Director of University Relations at Wilfrid Laurier University and has managed the ceremonies and events department for 13 years. She leads the planning for graduation ceremonies on the Waterloo campus, as well as other institutional events such as installations, groundbreakings, building openings, and recognition events. She co-chairs the convocation advisory sub-committee, reporting on protocol matters to the Senate Executive. She also created and leads the on-campus event planner’s network, bringing colleagues together for collaboration and best-practice sharing. She has been a member of NAACO since 2010 and served as the Regional Director for Canada-East before joining the Board as Treasurer.

Mary Beth Rehrer
Director-at-Large, Communications

Manager of Special Events and Programs
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
mrehrer@oq.rutgers.edu

Mary Beth is the Manager of Special Events and Programs at Rutgers University. She manages Rutgers commencement and provides guidance for the school convocations and cultural celebrations. In 2016, Rutgers celebrated a 250th Anniversary Commencement, at which President Barack Obama gave the keynote. Additionally, Mary Beth has planned a presidential inauguration and new student convocation. She also leads the collaboration, informal training and networking of event planners on campus. She has been a member of NAACO since 2016 and has served on the Communications Committee prior to the Director-At-Large role.

Gabrielle Martinez
Secretary

Graduation & Curriculum Data Specialist
New Mexico State University
gdmart@nmsu.edu

Gabrielle has held multiple volunteer roles within NAACO and would like to further her knowledge of the different committees and NAACO as a whole she served on the NAACO Communications Committee (2013-Present), RFP Committee (2019-2020), and most recently Regional Director (2019-2021). Gabrielle has chaired committees within her University, including the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Commencement Committee since 2012 and the NMSU Assessment and Outcomes Committee. With her many hats in her current role at New Mexico State University, she is a data custodian as well as a Commencement Officer for the entire NMSU system overseeing areas from graduation, curriculum and most recently NCAA Athletic Academic Compliance.

Kelly Carland
Membership Committee Chair

Director, Commencement and Special Events
University of California, Irvine

Patti Nolan
Education Committee Chair

Patti is the Assistant Director of College Events and Engagement at Rhode Island College. She coordinates all convocations and commencement ceremonies, as well as signature events for the campus community. Patti began her journey at RIC as the Sesquicentennial Coordinator in 2002, where she developed signature events and programs to highlight the 150th anniversary of the college. She has planned two presidential inaugurations and also chairs the Committee on Convocations for the Faculty Council of RIC. She has been a member of NAACO since 2020 and is currently serving as Chair of the Education Committee. She has hosted and presented at the annual conference and is a proud alumna of the class of 2022 Certificate Program.

Lacy Dailey
Communications Committee Chair

Lacy Dailey is a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in event management and communications. Currently serving as the Manager of University Events at American Public University System, Lacy is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing a wide range of events, including the annual commencement ceremonies and many other related events throughout the year. With a deep understanding of the importance of effective communication, Lacy has been actively involved with NAACO since 2018. During this time, she has served in various capacities, including conference speaker, communications committee member, and conference committee member. Today, Lacy serves as the Communications Committee Chair, bringing her extensive knowledge and expertise to bear in helping to shape the direction and vision of the committee.

Liz McMahan
Past President

Manager, Convocation & Special Projects;
York University
lmcmahan@yorku.ca

Liz is the Manager, Convocation & Special Projects in the Division of Advancement at York University. She is responsible for the planning and operational oversight of the University’s 18 convocation ceremonies, along with Orientation Day and Remembrance Day. In addition, the University Events & Ceremonies office coordinates over 75 annual institutional and advancement events including groundbreakings and building openings, recognition events and installation ceremonies. Prior to joining York, Liz spent several years in arts administration, overseeing large festivals and events and also worked as a stage manager for theatre productions and events including the Vancouver Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony.

Marcus Jones
Director-at-Large, Education

Chief of Staff
Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions
Arizona State University
marcus.jones@asu.edu

Marcus Jones is Chief of Staff at Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.  In his role, he leads all college level events, Dean’s office operations and special projects on behalf of the Dean and their leadership team. Prior to his current role, Marcus was a part of the ASU COVID-19 response team leading the logistical efforts for all state-sponsored public COVID testing sites and vaccination efforts and has served in a variety of other event and project management roles. Marcus is a trained Protocol Officer through the Protocol School of Washington and also a Certified Special Events Professional through the International Live Events Association. 

Claudia Dávila
President Elect

Director, Commencement and Ceremonies
University of Arizona
treasurer@naaco.org

Claudia Dávila is the Director, Commencement and Ceremonies at the University of Arizona where she directs the overall production and execution of the main commencement ceremony along with other academic ceremonies. She has been working with commencement operations for over 23 years. Claudia is responsible for budgetary and logistical operations for the department. As well as, she serves on campus committees and assists with campus events that include large scale events.

James Vitagliano
President

Associate Dean of Enrollment Services/Registrar
MGH Institute of Health Professions
jvitagliano@mghihp.edu

Jim is the Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and Registrar at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston.  He has been at the Institute for 22 years and prior to that, served as the Registrar at the Boston Conservatory of Music for 5 years, and worked in various Registrar roles at Boston University for 16 years starting as the Schedules Coordinator for the entire University, then Registrar at the School of Social Work and finally, Registrar for the School for the Arts.  In each of these roles, he has been responsible for the coordination of all Commencement events, Presidential Inaugurations, and other Academic ceremonies.  Outside of his professional life, Jim is actively involved in the world of Drum and Bugle Corps where he serves as a national adjudicator for marching arts competitions.  He is also a show producer, designer and director and has been actively teaching in the marching arts since the age of 18 and considers the teaching of music and the performing arts to be a true passion.  He has served on various committees within NAACO, most recently as the Director at Large of Education and looks forward to taking NAACO into the future in his President roles over the next 3 years.

Liz King
Event Experience Committee

Liz King is the Director of Ceremonies and Events at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and has worked in customer service, project and service coordination, protocol and event management roles over her professional career. Liz is grateful for the opportunity to work and collaborate with different communities of volunteers and staff, Indigenous partners and community members, constituents and dignitaries. No stranger to in-person and virtual event delivery, Liz leads a dynamic team to produce and deliver UBC’s academic ceremonies, recognition events, dignitary visits, events to support university commitments and strategic priorities and activities celebrating and acknowledging university milestones. In addition to leading the team responsible for institutional events, Liz provides leadership on matters of protocol at UBC. Liz has completed programs in Event Marketing and Public Relations at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, holds a Bachelor of Arts from UBC and a Masters in Business Administration from Royal Roads University.

Claire Alexander, President
Associate Director, Office of Ceremonies and Events
University of Guelph
alexand@uoguelph.ca

As Associate Director, Office of Ceremonies and Events at the University of Guelph, Claire supports activities that advance the reputation of the University locally, nationally and internationally. She manages convocation, internal annual events and collaborates across campus on a wide variety of other initiatives. Over the past 13 years in her position at the U of G, she has hosted convocation in 4 different venues and has managed installation ceremonies for 3 Chancellors and 1 President. She has been a member of NAACO since 2006 and has served as the Regional Director, Canada-East, since 2016.

James Cuaresma, Director-at-Large, Membership
California State University, Los Angeles
JCuaresma@cslanet.calstatela.edu

James Cuaresma is the Senior Director for University Events and Protocol for California State University, Los Angeles. James supports and enhance Cal State LA’s mission of engagement, service, and the public good through events and programs that elevate the University’s profile. The scale and scope of the events he produce, develop, or manage vary from the multi-day commencement ceremonies, to high profile fundraising events and galas, to intimate gatherings at the university president’s home. He has been involved with NAACO in various capacities since 2015 from conference committee member, conference speaker, and regional director. James now serves in the NAACO Board of Directors as the Director-at-Large for Membership.

Linda Bekerian, President
Northeastern University
l.bekerian@northeastern.edu

Linda Bekerian is the Associate Director for Academic Ceremonies at Northeastern University where she directs the oversight of the strategic and operational components underlying each of the university’s formal academic ceremonies. She is responsible for the logistical needs and the budgetary functions of the department. With more than 20 years of experience, Linda provides the professional expertise needed for the successful execution of commencement and other high-level ceremonies. Linda previously served on the NAACO Board as Treasurer and President and is a member of Protocol Officers Association/PDI-POA.

Serena Wallace, Member-at-Large, Strategic Initiatives
Georgia Institute of Technology
serena.wallace@comm.gatech.edu

Serena Wallace serves as Institute Event Manager in the Office of Special Events & Protocol at Georgia Institute of Technology. She and her team are responsible for the execution of high-level, award-winning Institute-wide events, consultation, and production of training resources. Before coming to Georgia Tech, Serena had experience in non-profit organizations and social events. Serena holds master’s degrees from Georgia State University.

Alanna Vernon, Past President
Associate Director, Ceremonies and Events
The University of British Columbia, Okanagan
alanna.vernon@ubc.ca

Alanna joined the Ceremonies Office at the inception of the Okanagan campus in 2005 and has managed every UBC Okanagan graduation ceremony since then. Besides the annual graduation ceremonies that are held each June, she is responsible for over 30 annual and special events each year, and none were bigger or more special than the Royal Visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in September 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Canadian History from the University of Alberta.

Siobhan Bhagwat, Communications Committee
Wilfrid Laurier University
sbhagwat@wlu.ca

Siobhan (Shi-vawn) is the Coordinator: Ceremonies & Events, responsible for externally facing and ceremonial events, at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Waterloo Campus. In addition to convocation she is involved with the planning of installations, governance events, university award ceremonies, and other ceremonial events such as ground-breakings and ribbon cuttings. She has over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector where in addition to planning events she has executed major fundraising campaigns, coordinated community engagement activities managed over 7,000 volunteers and fostered strong relationships with donors.

Aubrey Hughes, Membership Committee Chair
University of Nevada, Reno
aubreyh@unr.edu

Aubrey serves as the Chair of the Regional Membership Committee and has been a NAACO member since 2017. She has served on the NAACO conference planning committee since 2018 and hosted, along with her colleagues, the 2019 annual conference in Reno. At the University of Nevada she serves as a coordinator on the main Commencement Operations team since 2015. In addition to commencement Aubrey is the Executive Assistant to the AVP of Enrollment Services. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno.

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Sariah Tillotson, Education Committee Co-Chair – Conference

University of Nevada, Reno
stillotson@unr.edu

Sariah currently serves as the Graduation Services Coordinator housed in the Admissions & Records Office at the University of Nevada, Reno. She has been involved with the commencement ceremonies as a coordinator on the main Commencement Operations team since she joined the University in 2012. In addition to commencement Sariah is responsible for graduation procedures, quality control measures, data reporting and analysis associated with undergraduate and graduate degree awarding and certification. She attended and presented at her first NAACO Conference in 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Utah State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Ellen Liebman, Director-at-Large, Communications
Associate Director of Administration
The College of Arts and Sciences
University of Pennsylvania
eliebman@sas.upenn.edu

Ellen is the Associate Director of Administration in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, managing department finances, support staff, and academic advising in addition to major events like Family Weekend and College Graduation. In the past she has been the Faculty Affairs Coordinator for the Neuroscience Department, the Department Administrator for Romance Languages, and an assistant director in Alumni Relations, all at Penn. Ellen holds a bachelor’s degree in Classical Studies from Penn and a master’s degree in Latin from Bryn Mawr College.

April Airhart, Communications Committee Chair
American Public University System
aairhart@apus.edu

April joined the University in 2006 as a transfer credit evaluator, then in 2009 took over the planning, coordination, and management of commencement operations and attended her first NAACO conference in Anaheim, Ca. In 2010, she presented at NAACO for the first time and over the years has presented, volunteered, and worked on multiple conference committees for the organization. She has also been on the NAACO Communications Committee for more than a year where she manages social media for the organization and now serves as the Communications Committee Chair.

Douglas Bolin, Past President
Associate Director for University Events
University of Texas at Austin
dbolin@austin.utexas.edu

Doug is responsible for strategic planning and creative elements integrated into a series of events
that focus on creating community across The University of Texas campus. Doug has an academic
background in music and was a member of the voice faculty at Baylor University prior to moving to
Austin. He received his doctorate in vocal performance from The Ohio State University, a master’s
degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from The
University of Colorado in Boulder.

Melissa Picher Kelly, Treasurer
Academic Events Manager, Ceremonies & Events Office
The University of British Columbia
mpicher1@bcit.ca

Melissa has 12 years of experience as the Academic Events Manager in the Ceremonies Office at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus. Previously, Melissa was a member of the team that launched UBC’s downtown Vancouver campus where she led the successful event services department for seven years. In her current role, Melissa manages a cross-campus team that produces UBC’s bi-annual graduation ceremonies, held in the Spring and Fall. UBC graduates approximately 9,000 students per year and welcomes thousands of guests to campus for the festivities. In addition to graduation, Melissa coordinates several other University events as part of the Ceremonies Office team. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in French from UBC.

Melissa Picher Kelly, Budget Committee
The University of British Columbia, Vancouver
mpicher1@bcit.ca

Melissa has 12 years of experience as the Academic Events Manager in the Ceremonies Office at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus. Previously, Melissa was a member of the team that launched UBC’s downtown Vancouver campus where she led the successful event services department for seven years. In her current role, Melissa manages a cross-campus team that produces UBC’s bi-annual graduation ceremonies, held in the Spring and Fall. UBC graduates approximately 9,000 students per year and welcomes thousands of guests to campus for the festivities. In addition to graduation, Melissa coordinates several other University events as part of the Ceremonies Office team. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in French from UBC.

Suzanne Kahl, Past President
Commencement Coordinator
Tufts University
suzanne.kahl@tufts.edu

Suzanne has worked as Commencement Coordinator at Tufts University since 2006. She plans and organizes the all-university commencement ceremony, and helps coordinate and provide logistical support for the Baccalaureate service, and for 26 school and department diploma ceremonies. She is responsible for editing commencement publications, maintaining the commencement website, monitoring finances of commencement accounts, and coordinating the meetings of the university-wide commencement committee (consisting of 30 members). In addition, she helped coordinate Tufts’ presidential inauguration ceremony and events in 2011. Suzanne has been a member of NAACO for 8 years, and has organized two NAACO regional meetings at Tufts, most recently in December 2013. Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University, and a Master’s Degree in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Birmingham, England.

Lisa Arakaki, Secretary
Senior Director, Special Events
American University
larakak@american.edu

Lisa serves as the Senior Director of Special Events in the Office of the President at American University in Washington, D.C. She works closely with campus partners to coordinate large-scale events including commencement, All-American Weekend, Staff Appreciation, Celebrate AU, and the Faculty-Staff Holiday Party. In addition, she assists with special projects, advises departments and student organizations on event logistics and protocol issues, and represents the office on campus-wide committees. She has worked in Special Events for more than eighteen years and previously worked in the School of International Service. American University is a founding member of NAACO and Lisa served as co-chair of the 2013 Annual Conference in Washington, DC and the Southeast Regional Director for 2014-15.

Lisa Walker, Conference Committee Chair
University of Washington Bothell
lmwalker@uw.edu

As the director of ceremonies at University of Washington Bothell, Walker is responsible for planning and coordinating all aspects of the commencement and convocation ceremonies. This includes event logistics, budget preparation and reconciliation, as well as supervising all volunteers, faculty, staff and vendors to create and implement memorable commencement ceremonies. She also plans additional university events.