Maine PBS chief to speak at graduation

BANGOR – Mary Anne Alhadeff, president of Maine Public Broadcasting, will be the featured speaker at the 21st annual commencement exercises at the New England School of Communications, an affiliate of Husson College.

Alhadeff was made president and chief executive officer of Maine Public Broadcasting in August 2002.

From 1994 to 2000, she was the director of broadcasting at New Hampshire Public Television.

After three years as a French teacher, she spent the past 23 years in public broadcasting in Minnesota, Washington state, New Hampshire and North Dakota. Her productions have received Emmy Awards, awards from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and from American Women in Radio and Television.

Alhadeff holds a bachelor’s degree in education and French studies from the College of Saint Catherine in St. Paul, Minn. She has served on the board of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is a board member of the Maine Humanities Council. In August, Alhadeff was elected to the national PBS board of directors.

The graduation ceremonies will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 15, in Husson’s Newman Gymnasium.