Senior business executive, U.S. Army veteran and university trustee Shelly Brown to deliver WWU undergraduate commencement address

Dr. Chuck Ambrose, former president of the University of Central Missouri, to deliver graduate commencement address

Fulton, MO – William Woods University (WWU) is pleased to announced that Shelly Brown ’97,‘99, a management consultant, U.S. Army veteran and current member of the Executive Committee of the WWU Board of Trustees, will deliver the 2025 undergraduate commencement address on Saturday, May 3. The graduate commencement address will be delivered by Higher Education consultant and former University of Central Missouri (UCM) President Dr. Chuck Ambrose.

Commencement weekend will begin with the traditional Ivy Ceremony at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 2. The undergraduate commencement ceremony will be at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, followed by the graduate ceremony at 2 p.m., both inside Cutlip Auditorium. It is anticipated that 220 graduates, including their families and friends, will attend the events.

Hosting Brown continues a William Woods tradition of welcoming a wide range of prominent individuals as commencement speakers, which have included actors, authors, talk show hosts, singers, executives, a U.S. Senator, a future Missouri Governor and a future U.S. President.
“We are pleased that Shelly Brown, someone who has achieved remarkable success in commercial leadership, supply chain, operations and philanthropy, through a career in the private and public sector, has accepted our invitation to deliver the undergraduate commencement address this year,” said Romaine Seguin, Acting President of William Woods University. “A two-time graduate of The Woods, Shelly is also highly appreciative of what his William Woods education provided for him. He will have a great message for our graduates, and we are thrilled to have him deliver it at our undergraduate commencement.”

A bridge-builder, leveraging experiences in advocacy, entrepreneurship, and service to create partnerships that spark innovation, Brown brings people together to develop fresh perspectives and ingenious approaches to problem-solve real-world challenges. He has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the 2023 Leadership Award from Women’s Enterprise and Minority Business News, for his commitment to the success of entrepreneurs, job creation and corporate development.

In reflection on serving as Commencement Speaker, Brown shared, “I am beyond honored and excited to serve as the commencement speaker for William Woods University’s 2025 Graduation Ceremony! A huge thank you to Acting President Romaine Seguin and the entire WWU community for this incredible opportunity.“

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Brown was decorated for service during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He received both his Bachelor’s in Management (1997) and Masters of Business Administration (1999) degrees from William Woods, and also completed executive coursework at Dartmouth College and through McKinsey Academy’s Black Executive Leadership Program. Brown is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and lives with his wife and son on the north shore of Chicago, Illinois.

During his address to graduates, he will focus on the critical role that education plays in preparing future leaders for resilience, adaptability, and purpose-driven leadership.

Dr. Ambrose has 40 years of experience serving in college presidents' offices, including 23 of those years serving as president himself. He served as president of UCM from 2010-2018, where he earned the Governor's Award for Economic Development for the creation of the Missouri Innovation Campus, and as chancellor of Henderson St. University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas (2021-2023), where he arrived during a severe financial crisis and achieved the largest cost containment in the shortest amount of time for a four-year public university. Currently, Dr. Ambrose serves as a Senior Education Consultant with the Husch Blackwell Law Firm, sharing strategies and offering tangible support to other college and university leaders with a focus on policy, strategy, and enhancing institutional performance and outcomes.

The author of Colleges on the Brink: The Case for Financial Exigency, Dr. Ambrose has received numerous awards during his career, including having UCM's Missouri Innovation Campus recognized as a national model for higher education by President Barack Obama; the 2006 Furman University Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Governor of Missouri's Economic Development Advancement Award in 2013.