Gary Amelio: UPG Alumnus of Distinction slated to speak at the April 26 ceremony.By Dylan Nice / Editor in chief

Pitt-Greensburg alumnus Gary Amelio is the commencement speaker for the graduation ceremony April 26. Amelio attended the campus from 1974 to 1976 and is the president of retirement services for ULLICO Inc, a company that serves unionized workers.

Amelio is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and its law school. He serves on the UPG Advisory Board and was named Legacy Laureate by Pitt in 2007. The award is given to Pitt graduates who have excelled professional and personally and who exemplify the best in leadership skills and commitment to greater good of their careers and communities.

He was also named Alumnus of Distinction by UPG in 2005.

UPG President Sharon Smith said Amelio is dedicated to Pitt-Greensburg and a role model for students. He has received four national awards recognizing his management skills in the employee benefits industry.

“He popped off the page as the obvious choice because of he was named Legacy Laureate and because he is one of our most distinguished alumni,” Smith said.

Amelio has spoken before professional, union and customer groups about employee benefits topics. He has been interviewed for print, radio and television reports. He is expected to speak for 10 to 15 minutes.

After his address, graduates' degrees will be distributed. This year some students who have a parent or spouse who is a Pitt alumni, will have their degrees co-presented by their parent or spouse and Smith.

“The Pitt community is in a real sense a family,” Smith said. She said family should be included in the commencement celebration.

There has been a turnout for legacy presentations, but Smith said it is difficult to know what percentage of the student body is eligible.

This year 183 students are participating in the ceremony, according to Academic Village Coordinator Sheila Confer. Those students are expected to bring about 1,000 guests if the event is held outdoors and 730 if the ceremony is indoors.

Confer said if the weather report is calling for rain on Thursday, April 24, the event will be held indoors. Anyone who can’t be seated will be able to watch the event on closed circuit television.

“What happened last year when we had to make it inside, those who had six guests just ended up adjusting,” Confer said. Adjusting often meant telling extended family members they were welcome to come to dinner afterward, but would have sit the ceremony out.

Confer said the field looks better than last year when the ground would have been too wet even if it hadn’t rained.