Grainger chairman, president and CEO to speak at CLC Commencement
James T. Ryan, Grainger chairman, president and CEO will give the commencement address at the College of Lake County's 47th annual ceremonies on May 14.
Ryan will speak at both the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies, held in the Physical Education Center on the Grayslake Campus, 19351 W. Washington Street. The college will confer 2,023 degrees and certificates to 1,854 graduates.
Based in Lake Forest, Grainger is a business-to-business distributor of products used to maintain, repair and operate facilities. Millions of businesses and institutions worldwide rely on Grainger for products such as safety gloves, ladders, motors and janitorial supplies, and services like inventory management and technical expertise.
Grainger, with 2015 sales of $10 billion, has a long history of supporting CLC students with grants, scholarships and internships, as well as participating on career advisory committees. Ryan recently visited the college to talk with engineering students about their academic programs and career goals.
"I'm honored to provide the commencement address to this year's class of CLC graduates," Ryan said. "I recently met with a number of CLC students and was very impressed with their passion, dedication and overall desire to excel in their respective areas of study. These are the kinds of traits that will provide a solid foundation for success as these students begin a new chapter in life."
Ryan was named Grainger chairman in 2009, chief executive officer in 2008 and president in 2006. He has been with Grainger since 1980, in roles including executive vice president, marketing, sales and service; president, Grainger Parts; and president, Grainger.com.
Ryan graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1980 with a bachelor's degree in business. He also earned a master's degree, with distinction, in business administration with a concentration in marketing from DePaul University. In 1999, he was awarded the Distinguished MBA Alumni Award by DePaul University, and the Illinois Institute of Technology recognized him as the 2006 Outstanding Leader in Industry.
Ryan is the vice chair of the Board of Trustees of DePaul University, serves on the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and is a co-chair of the Business Advisory Council for the Farmer School of Business at Miami University. He is also a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Economic Club of Chicago and the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors.
The ceremony will also include remarks by CLC President Jerry Weber; William M. Griffin, CLC Board of Trustees chair; Connor Mallon, president of the Student Government Association; and Jenny Lee, English instructor and winner of the 2016 Outstanding Full Time Faculty Member. For more information on the event, visit www.clcillinois.edu/graduation.