Speakers announced for August commencement

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A former Michigan bank executive and a Northwest
Airlines VIP will be the speakers for CMU’s August 2000 commencement ceremonies.
Larry Johns, chairman of IBT Bancorp Inc. and former
president and chief executive officer of Isabella Bank and Trust, and
Raymond Vecci, executive vice president for customer service and president
of Michigan Operations for Northwest Airlines, will deliver speeches during
the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies, Aug. 5.
Jan Wagester, executive assistant to the university
president, said the two speakers were selected by University President
Leonard Plachta in the mid-May.
“The president invited them to visit campus and speak
during the ceremony because they have achieved great success in their
respective fields and have long-standing, close relationships with CMU,”
she said.
Now a chairman of IBT Bancorp Inc., a central Michigan
financial services company that oversees 18 banking locations and has
more than $500 million in total assets, Johns demonstrated his knowledge
of finances and economics as a leader at Isabella Bank and Trust in Mount
Pleasant for more than three decades, according to a press release.
Johns joined Isabella Bank and Trust as a cashier in
1960 and was elected to the board of directors in 1961. He was promoted
to executive vice president in 1962 and became president and CEO in 1972.
He retired from the bank in 1993.
As president of the Michigan Bankers Association in
the mid-70s, Johns helped establish the Robert M. Perry Schools of Banking
at CMU. The schools, which provide continuing education to members of
Michigan’s banking industry, earned him a Distinguished Banker Award in
1984.
Johns has held leadership positions with several national
financial organizations, including the American Bankers Association, the
American Institute of Banking and the Detroit branch of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Chicago. He was elected mayor of Mount Pleasant in 1970 and currently
serves as the chairman of the board of directors for Central Michigan
HealthCare System.
“Johns is a local, prominent businessman who has been
actively involved with CMU over the years,” Wagester said.
Vecci, who was named to his current position in January 1999, oversees
ground and cargo operations for Northwest’s U.S. Stations and works closely
with the Wayne County Airport Commission on improving customer service
in Detroit, according to a press release.
He joined Northwest in 1997 after serving as president
and CEO of Carnival Airlines in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and brought more
than 36 years of airline experience with him to Northwest.
Prior to joining Carnival, Vecci served as chairman,
president and CEO of Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines. There he helped
position and restructure a billion-dollar airline business whose viability
had been threatened by a profitable dominant competitor on the West Coast.
He joined Alaska Airlines in 1975.
A resident of Grosse Ill., Vecci also is a board member
for the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and Oakwood Health Care Inc.
Wagester said Vecci is a distinguished individual in
Detroit and a friend of CMU.
“He always shows willingness to work with us and we
are congenial,” Wagester said.
She said the two speakers will talk to the graduates
about their life experiences and how they look at the future.
Wagester said Vecci and Johns will receive a honorary
doctorate of business administration degree and a honorary doctorate of
public service degree after their speeches.
Wagester said the commencement ceremonies will begin
at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Aug. 5 in Rose Arena. Approximately 2,200 students
are eligible to receive degrees.
“It is very worthwhile for our graduates to listen
to the speeches and get some encouragement from the speakers,” she said.