May 1, 2012

University of Montevallo to hold spring commencement

MONTEVALLO—The University of Montevallo will hold spring commencement Saturday, May 5, at 9 a.m. on the lawn of Flowerhill, the president’s home. A reception to honor graduates will be held at 8 a.m. on King Quad on the UM campus.

The commencement speaker will be Kristina Scott, executive director of Alabama Possible, a campaign associated with the Alabama Poverty Project, whose mission is to eliminate poverty through education.

Prior to joining APP in 2008, Scott served as managing attorney for external affairs at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office where she partnered with children’s health professionals and housing advocates to combat childhood lead poisoning. She also launched the Freedom of Information Unit to improve public access to government records, and she led a multi-agency effort to expand elder-abuse prosecutions.

Scott has also designed communications and voter contact strategies for political candidates and for ballot initiative campaigns across the nation. She was a senior strategist for The Strategy Group, and during the 2000 election cycle, she served as the communications director for the California Democratic Party’s coordinated campaign. She also worked with the Gore campaign in California, Illinois and Iowa during the primary/caucus season.

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida and the juris doctor with distinction from Emory University. She is a member of the California, Georgia and New York Bars.