Today@Sam Article

Alumni To Speak At December Graduation Ceremonies

Nov. 11, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt

Two Sam Houston State University alumni will return to campus to address more than 1,693 degree candidates who have filed for graduation during the winter commencement ceremonies Dec. 9-10. 

Public affairs consultant Nan McCraven will address Friday graduates at 9:30 a.m. from the Colleges of Criminal Justice and Fine Arts and Mass Communication and at 2:30 p.m. graduates from the Colleges of Health Sciences and Science and Engineering Technology.

Insurance broker Kenneth Ross will address Saturday graduates at 9:30 a.m. for graduates from the College of Business Administration and at 2:30 p.m. for graduates from the Colleges of Education and Humanities and Social Sciences. For more information on individual commencement ceremonies, visit the commencement website.

Nan McRaven

McRaven—the owner of McRaven Consulting, a public relations and governmental affairs firm in Austin—has more than 25 years of experience in communications, media and public affairs and government, government relations, strategic issues management, public policy development and advocacy, and fundraising.

She also has served for 13 years on the Austin Community College’s Board of Trustees, helping to lead the college through many changes and helped to make it one of the premier colleges in Texas.

McCraven earned her a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from SHSU, her Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and her doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin graduating in 2015 from the Community College Leadership Program.

While at SHSU, McCraven was the president of the Delta Kappa chapter of Alpha Chi Omega in the early 1970s. She also was a recipient of the Pennybacker Award, presented to an outstanding SHSU student, in 1972.

This year, she was named a Service Award recipient by the SHSU Alumni Association. 

Before starting her firm, McRaven held positions in the private, non-profit and governmetal sectors, including as Texas state director of The Trust for Public Land; senior director of the Freescale Semiconductor; vice president of communications and public affairs for Motorola, Inc.; vice president of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce; personnel and budget director for Travis County. 

She also worked with the Breast Cancer Project and the Breast Cancer Resource Center to bring representatives together to share information and best practices. Because of her hard work and dedication, she was appointed to the BCRC board, where for three years she helped to raise the group’s visibility in the community.

Ross, an agent with State Farm Insurance, was appointed by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to the board of the Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority in 2008. 

A family man and community leader, Ross has dedicated his life to various service organizations.

Ken Ross

The SHSU alumnus is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors; l00 Black Men of America, Inc.; a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha; and a founding member of the 100 Black Men of Houston Metropolitan, which mentors young African American males.

He has served on the board of directors for the El Dorado Social Club, which provides food and toys during Christmas to families in Houston’s Third Ward area and Thanksgiving meals to area widows. He also has been hands-on in building Habitat for Humanity homes for families in the Fifth Ward area.

In addition, for the past eight years, he has annually sponsored young men and children for the University of Texas football camp; has provided 25 youth helmets and signed copies of football player Gerald Irons’s book to the Northwest Huskers Select Football Team; and has offered food and beverages to 100-150 Houston Texans fans during his tailgate festivities.

Ross, who earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1981, is a life member of the SHSU Alumni Association and has served on the board of directors for more than 10 years, through which he was instrumental in getting the Student Health and Counseling Center building named after the first African American administrator, William R. Powell.

Among his accolades include a 2015 Congressional recognition for outstanding service, being voted “Best Business Entrepreneur” in La Marque from 2009-2015 and inclusion in the June 2011 Texas Monthly for his “Professionalism in Auto and Home Insurance.”

In 2015, he was recommended by Texas representatives to be appointed to the board of the Harris County Northwest Municipal Utilities District No. 20.

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