... and Commencement, Baccalaureate speakers named

Heidelberg will welcome alumnus Aris M. Kaplanis, '74, as the keynote speaker for 2016 Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 15.

Kaplanis has more than 30 years of experience in the technology sector. From 1991-2008, Kaplanis was the president and CEO of Teranet, a network of online services providing access to Ontario, Canada’s Land Registration System. As the largest public/private sector strategic alliance in the world, Teranet also provides services and solutions for legal, real estate, government and financial services markets. During his tenure at Teranet, Kaplanis was twice nominated for the Globe & Mail CEO of the Year Award. Previously, he served as president of CEMCORP and executive vice president and general manager of Unisys Canada, a 1,000-employee joint venture that deals with business marketing, sales, research and development of full profit and loss responsibility.

Kaplanis earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with honors from Heidelberg in 1974. He completed advanced studies in business administration at the University of Akron and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

In addition to his successful business career, Kaplanis is a benefactor of his alma mater. In March 2015, Heidelberg announced the naming of The Aris M. Kaplanis Master of Business Administration Program. He has provided significant financial support that has strengthened the School of Business at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and is a strong supporter of the university’s PlusOneAdvantage Free MBA program, which had its genesis in discussions with him about two years ago.  He also served as Executive-in-Residence at the School of Business in the fall semester of 2014.

Baccalaureate services will be held Saturday, May 14, and will feature a sermon by Christian Peele, a former administrator on President Obama’s White House staff who is now focused on stewardship of one of New York City’s premiere churches.

Peele, the youngest person to earn a master of degree from Duke University Divinity School at age 20, is currently serving as director of stewardship and development at The Riverside Church. After completing an internship with the Office of Management and Administration in The White House in 2009, Peele became director of the White House Internship Program, serving in that capacity from 2011-13. In 2013, she was appointed deputy director for White House Operations and placed in charge of managing a large staff, reviewing budgetary matters for The White House and focusing on strategy, mission and vision.

The daughter of a Baptist minister, Peele grew up in Goldsboro, N.C., and received her bachelor’s degree from Mary Baldwin College at age 17. After she completed graduate studies at Duke, she worked for the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York and the Church of the Saviour, a faith-based non-profit community in Washington, D.C., where she was involved in creating educational programs for incarcerated individuals.

At her current position, she guides the stewardship and development functions of the 1,750-member progressive Christian church that is described “interdenominational, interracial and international.” Its congregation is comprised of 40 different denominational, national, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and is affiliated with both the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist churches. Peele supports the church’s mission of outreach, education, social justice and peacemaking.

Heidelberg will present Kaplanis and Peele with honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.