
Speakers
Commencement Speakers
Read more about the commencement speakers.
State Representative Beth Camp
State Representative Beth Camp represents the citizens of House District 135, which includes portions of Lamar and Spalding counties and all of Pike County. Rep. Camp became a 911 dispatcher at 17 years old, and her interest in helping others led to her becoming a licensed emergency medical technician. Working closely with individuals in crisis while serving in public safety sparked her love of social sciences and volunteerism. She earned an associate degree in science from Georgia Military College, a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies with a concentration in psychology from Clayton State University and a Master of Arts from the University of Alabama in Communication Studies with emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Rep. Camp is the owner and managing real estate broker of Camp & Associates, LLC and has been a licensed realtor since 2006 holding the “Lifetime Multi-Million Dollar Realtor” achievement for her professional efforts. She serves on the board of directors for CASA Advo-Kids, a court-appointed special advocacy for children in foster care for the Griffin Judicial Circuit.
Rep. Camp served as an elected member of the Pike County Board of Education for one term before running for state office in 2020. She met her husband of 30 years, Mark, when they were working as medics. She and her family enjoy living in Concord on their cattle production farm with a miniature donkey, a confusion of guineas, several barn cats and a Jack Russell Terrier named Trixie.
Keith T. Parker
Keith T. Parker is a renowned CEO with a record of turning struggling organizations into profitable and reputable entities. As the former CEO of the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA), he successfully transformed what was once deemed the worst public transit system in the U.S. into an economic asset, generating over a quarter billion dollars in operating surplus. Currently, as president and CEO of Goodwill of North Georgia, Parker has expanded the nonprofit’s retail footprint while enhancing the organization's mission to put people to work. Under Parker's leadership, the organization has connected more than 120,000 people to new jobs in the past five years. His leadership style has resulted in one of the lowest overhead rates in the nonprofit sector. Additionally, Parker serves on multiple boards and has received numerous accolades for his impactful contributions, most recently, the Atlanta Business League's 2024 Herman J. Russell CEO of the Year Award.
Student Speakers