FERRUM, VA (March 16, 2023) – Virginia Secretary of Labor and Ferrum College alumnus Bryan Slater ’82 will be the keynote speaker for the College’s 107th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
Slater has over 20 years of political experience serving the public, non-profit and private sectors. In Virginia, Slater served as Secretary of Administration for Governor James Gilmore (R-VA) and as Director of Administration for the Attorney General’s office under Attorney General James Gilmore.
He was the White House liaison to the U.S. Department of Labor under President George W. Bush and a congressional relations officer for the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President George H.W. Bush.
Most recently, Slater served as Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management at the U.S. Department of Labor and Assistant Secretary of Administration for the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump.
Slater, who received his associate’s degree from Ferrum College and his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Richmond, credits Ferrum as the kick start to his career. “The foundation for my career began at Ferrum. It’s where I got involved in politics and where my interest in government and politics began,” he said.
The Ferrum College commencement ceremony honoring the class of 2023 will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, 2023 in W.B. Adams Stadium on campus.
Read more about Slater’s appointment as Virginia Secretary of Labor in Assistant Professor of English & Journalism David B. Campbell’s article here.