Local Dignitary Natalie Shirley to Deliver Commencement Speech for CU Class of 2024

Natalie Shirley, a former chair and member of the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University, and Rogers State University Board of Regents, will deliver the commencement address to the Cameron University Class of 2024. The graduation ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 3, at Cameron Stadium, starting at 7:30 p.m. After Shirley's speech, the 2024 graduates will receive their diplomas. The event will end with a fireworks display. The ceremony will recognize students who will complete their degree requirements between December 2023 and December 2024.

Shirley has had a notable career in education and public service. In January 2018, she became the first female president and CEO of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Prior to this, she was the president of Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Secretary of Education and Workforce Development.

From 2015 to 2018, Shirley worked with Governor Mary Fallin to start the Oklahoma Works program. This program aimed to improve educational attainment in Oklahoma, promoting a more educated workforce to strengthen the state's economy. She also served as Oklahoma Secretary of Commerce and Tourism in Governor Brad Henry's Cabinet from 2007 to 2011.

Shirley's role extended to overseeing the Workforce department and acting as a liaison between the governor, major state agencies, and smaller agencies, authorities, and institutions. She also served as Executive Director of the Department of Commerce, the state's main economic development agency.

Shirley was also the president of ICI Mutual in Washington, D.C., after holding several leadership roles within the company. She currently serves on various business boards and was appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt to the University of Oklahoma, Cameron University, and Rogers State University Board of Regents in 2018. Shirley, an Oklahoma native, has a law degree from the University of Oklahoma and lives in Oklahoma City with her family.

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