Starbucks Executive To Give 2018 Commencement Address At Spelman College

For the first time in 30 years, a Spelman College alumnae has been chosen to give the commencement address, the school announced this week. The honors will go to Rosalind Gates Brewer (class of 1984), who serves as group president Americas and chief operating officer for Starbucks.

Brewer will talk to more than 470 graduates as thousands of their family and friends cheer them on at the ceremony on Sunday, May 20, 2018, at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta.

Spelman College Commencement 2018: Starbucks COO To Address Graduates

Brewer has made history in several roles over her three decades in the professional world, including being the first woman and first African American to hold the role of COO at Starbucks. She also holds the distinction of being the first woman and African-American to lead a Walmart division when she helmed the role at Sam’s Club in 2012.

She has been a regular name on the list of the world’s most powerful women by Fortune and Forbes. She also serves on the board of directors for Starbucks and chairs the Spelman College Board of Trustees.

“Rosalind Brewer is a stellar example of the Spelman woman, one who has made a significant impact not only as a business woman, but as a global citizen,” said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. “She has forged a path that has led to numerous successes in corporate America and has served as an exceptional chair of the Spelman CollegeBoard of Trustees. We are pleased to have someone who confidently knows her own voice and strengths, and who as STEM major and Spelman alumna, can share her experience with the class of 2018.”

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Tee Johnson: Tee Johnson is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AtlantaFi.com, Atlanta’s independent hyper-local publication focused on news, restaurants, events, jobs, neighborhoods, and lifestyle. A 15+ year Atlanta resident and longtime journalist and content creator, she covers Travel News, Events, Business, Hair Care, and Money with a practical, Atlanta-first lens. Before launching the site, Johnson worked as a substitute teacher in Atlanta Public Schools and later in corporate roles at Home Depot’s Vinings offices. A marketer by training with a degree in business management, she grew frustrated with the fragmented, hard-to-find information about what was actually happening in the city. That gap led her to create AtlantaFi as a curated, one-stop resource for the pulse of Atlanta—#ATLHAPS—without the national noise. Editorial decisions remain independent; the publication does not accept products, meals, or services in exchange for coverage. As Editor-in-Chief, she oversees original local reporting and curated practical guides that help residents, visitors, and businesses discover and engage with the city. Readers turn to her work for timely event roundups, dining and neighborhood insights, business and travel updates, and straightforward money and lifestyle coverage grounded in firsthand observation of Atlanta. A devoted lover of all things Atlanta, Tee enjoys pickleball, a good margarita or bourbon, and walking the Atlanta Beltline. She can be reached for editorial inquiries at tjohnson@atlantafi.com (serious inquiries only).
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