Spring 2026 Commencement Speakers Announced

Spring 2026 Commencement Speakers Announced

Sam Houston State University’s Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies will take place from Thursday, May 7, to Saturday, May 9, at Johnson Coliseum. Degree candidates and guests attending ceremonies will hear from Welcome Wilson Jr., Daryl Howard, Kelton Jeffrey, Adam Dietrich, Misti Jeter and Mary Vitek. Ceremonies will be held at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. each day, apart from the May 7 afternoon ceremony, which begins at 4 p.m.

For full run-of-events information, visit shsu.edu/commencement.

In the first ceremony of the season, Welcome Wilson Jr. will inspire graduates from the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Wilson, Jr. is president and CEO of Welcome Group, LLC, a Houston-based real estate development firm that owns and operates more than nine million square feet of industrial and manufacturing facilities across Texas and the southeastern United States. A respected Texas business leader, he is also a partner in Kingham ∙ Dalton ∙ Wilson, Ltd. and a director of River Oaks Financial Group Inc.

Wilson is a strong advocate for education and Texas history. He serves as vice chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is a board member of the Texas Higher Education Foundation, Trellis Company, Trellis Foundation, the Greater Houston Partnership and the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He also chairs the Alamo Trust and the Remember the Alamo Foundation in San Antonio.

A native Texan, Wilson attended the University of Denver. He and his wife have five adult children.

Degree candidates from the College of Arts & Media and the College of Education will be addressed by Daryl Howard ’70.

Howard is an accomplished artist known for her work in woodblock printmaking and mixed media collage. After graduating from SHSU with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she began her artistic journey abroad, teaching art in Tokyo in the 1970s. While in Japan, she was introduced to traditional 18th- and 19th-century Ukiyo-e woodcuts, which inspired her to study the craft through a private apprenticeship with master printmaker Hodaka Yoshida.

Through this experience, Howard developed a strong foundation in the intricate techniques of carving and printing. She later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin. There, she expanded her artistic practice to include mixed media collage. Her career reflects a lifelong dedication to blending traditional techniques with creative exploration, establishing her as a respected figure in the field of visual arts.

Kelton Jeffrey ’19 will welcome the graduates of the College of Health Sciences and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on the morning of May 8.

Jeffrey is a healthcare executive, educator and community leader committed to advancing excellence in healthcare operations and developing the next generation of leaders. He currently serves as a professional support services officer with Texas Health Resources, leading key clinical and ancillary service lines and driving strategic initiatives that enhance patient outcomes, operational performance and access to care.

Committed to lifelong learning and meaningful impact in the healthcare field.
Jeffrey earned his bachelor’s in healthcare administration from SHSU, his Master of Business Administration from the University of Arizona and his Doctorate in Healthcare Administration from Virginia University of Lynchburg.

Jeffrey is passionate about mentorship, leadership development and creating pathways for others to succeed. In support of this passion, he serves as an adjunct faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University, is an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the National Association of Health Services Executives and the Texas Hospital Association Leadership Council.

Through his work with advisory boards, nonprofit organizations and educational partnerships, he supports initiatives that expand opportunities and resources for underserved communities throughout North Texas.

Friday evening ceremonies will feature remarks by Adam Dietrich ‘00, who will address degree candidates from the College of Health Sciences and College of Criminal Justice.

A Bearkat psychology graduate, Dietrich is the managing partner at Adam W. Dietrich PC. He received his law degree from Cooly Law School in Lansing, Michigan and exclusively practices family law, for which he is certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Dietrich has received numerous top rankings for his legal work. Best Lawyers©, a Division of BL Rankings, has ranked him as one of the Best Lawyers in Texas in Family Law for six consecutive years. In its national assessment of family law practices, Best Lawyers© placed him among the Houston Region’s Tier 1 Law Firms in Texas Family Law for 2025 and 2026. Superlawyers, a Division of Internet Brands, recognized him in 2018 and 2019 as a Rising Star in Texas Family Law and ranked Dietrich as a Superlawyer in Texas Family Law from 2020 to 2025.

He has authored and presented many continuing education presentations for The State Bar of Texas – Family Law Section and has directed courses in continuing legal education. He has served Texas family law practitioners in several capacities, including as a State Bar of Texas – Family Law Council Member, Director – Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, Member at Large – Standing Committee for Legislation – Texas Family Law Foundation and as a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Law Specialists.

Dietrich has served on his local school board as well as in numerous other philanthropic ventures. He and his wife Kristy, a Bearkat with a doctorate in education, live with their three children in the Conroe area.

Misti Jeter ‘02 will start Saturday’s ceremonies with an address to her fellow graduates of the College of Science and Engineering Technology.

Jeter is the co-founder and president of the BlackPearl family of companies that deliver solutions to clients across the manufacturing, energy and advanced technology sectors. The multidisciplinary technology leader has leveraged her academic foundation — a bachelor’s in chemistry from SHSU and graduate studies in engineering management and corporate finance — with her 20 years of industry experience to bridge technical rigor with commercial strategy.

Through her patented inventions, Jeter pioneered innovations such as a multiple-effect water distillation system and subsurface-environment-equipped technology. Jeter’s leadership has placed BlackPearl at the forefront of creating next-generation technologies, turning concepts into deliverables for their clients.

Jeter’s excellence extends to service as well. She currently serves on the Industrial Advisory Board for SHSU’s School of Engineering and the Executive Board of the American Heart Association’s Gulf Coast Region. She also serves on the Houston District Export Council (HDEC), a position she was appointment to by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

Dedicated to cross-industry innovation and community impact, she continues to shape the future of technology and the ecosystems that support it through her involvement with HDEC, and as a board member of the MiQro Innovation Collaborative Center (C2MI). At C2MI, Jeter plays a key role in strengthening collaboration among academia, government and the private sector on a global scale.

And her work has not gone unnoticed; Jeter was recognized by HDEC in 2025 as the Exporter of the Year and was recently awarded the Houston Business Journal’s 2026 Community Leadership Award.

Rounding out the Spring commencement season with her remarks to students of the College of Business Administration (COBA) is Mary Vitek ’86.

Vitek serves as CEO of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, one of the largest in the country, serving approximately 39,000 girls and 18,000 adults across 26 counties in Southeast Texas. In her role, she oversees a $20 million budget, advises a 34-member board of directors and fosters community engagement.

A certified public accountant since 1988, Vitek began her career as an audit senior manager at KPMG before joining Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council in 1994 and being appointed CEO in 1998. During her tenure, the council has completed three capital campaigns totaling more than $31 million, received a $4.2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, established an endowment ensuring the long-term sustainability of Girl Scouts, successfully performed a council merger and hosted the 2011 National Council Session/52^nd Convention of Girl Scouts of the USA in Houston.

Vitek is an active civic leader who has served on multiple boards and councils, including the United Way of Greater Houston Board of Trustees, SHSU’s COBA Advisory Board, Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital Advisory Board, the United Way of Greater Houston Women’s Initiative and the Greater Houston Partnership’s Executive Women’s Partnership. She is a graduate of Leadership Houston and the American Leadership Forum.

She is one of five Houstonians and Texans who have been recognized as an outstanding young leader by the Houston Junior Chamber and Texas Junior Chamber, respectively. Vitek is also among Houston Woman Magazine’s Houston’s 50 Most Influential Women. She was inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame in 2011 and was named Outstanding Non-Profit CEO of the Year in 2016 by the Houston Business Journal.

She and her husband, Mike, have an adult daughter, Molly, who is a Gold Award Girl Scout and a son-in-law, Will, who is an Eagle Scout.