Environmentalist to serve as speaker

President Cathy Cox is pleased to announce that Sally Bethea, founder and executive director of the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, will serve as the 2008 Commencement speaker for Young Harris College graduates.

Ms. Bethea founded the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in 1994 and has shepherded its growth into a 5,000 member nonprofit environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed. She holds a masters' degree in city planning from Georgia Tech and has 30 years of experience in environmental issues, including work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, and the Georgia Conservancy.

Ms. Bethea has been honored by numerous groups for her environmental advocacy and influence, and has been instrumental through Riverkeeper in promoting sewer improvements in the City of Atlanta to keep waste from polluting the Chattahoochee River, and in fighting other governmental, industrial and individual releases of pollutants into the river system. She has developed a wide variety of educational programs to better inform the public of threats to the river system and ways to protect it.

"Given the importance that YHC students place on our environment, I couldn't think of a better choice for graduation than Sally Bethea," said President Cox. "She is a longtime friend of mine and my husband Mark's, and I know she will inspire our graduates to continue their advocacy for our river systems and our environment as a whole."

Commencement services for the Class of 2008 will be held on Saturday, May 3 at 11:00 a.m. in the Hilda D. Glenn Auditorium.