Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia Winsome Earle-Sears will deliver the keynote address at Ferrum College’s 108th Commencement and Presidential Inauguration Ceremonies on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
Earle-Sears is a native of Kingston, Jamaica, who immigrated to the United States at the age of six. She is proud to have served in the United States Marine Corps. In addition to her various appointments, she has served as the Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education; and as a presidential appointee to the US Census Bureau, as co-chair of the African American Committee; and the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Winsome was first elected in 2002 to a majority Black House of Delegates district, a first for a Republican in Virginia since 1865. She is the first female Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the first Black female elected statewide, and the first naturalized female elected to statewide office.
She is also the first female Veteran to be elected to statewide office.
As Lieutenant Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears presides over the Senate when they are in a legislative session and casts the tie-breaking vote. Additionally, the Lieutenant Governor serves on various state boards and commissions: Virginia Tourism Authority, Virginia Military Advisory Council, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, The Center for Rural Virginia, Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel, as well as serving as the national Secretary of the Aerospace States Association (ASA), and as the Chair of the Virginia chapter of ASA (2023). Her office has been represented on the Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) since 2022. The Lieutenant Governor is also a Fellow at the Hunt Kean Leadership Institute. Education has been and continues to be a focus of the Lieutenant Governor.
In her efforts to hear from as many Virginians as possible, the Lieutenant Governor has traveled over 28,000 miles across the Commonwealth since coming into office. An often-requested speaker, the Lieutenant Governor has headlined numerous events across the Commonwealth and across the nation.
A former program manager for the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and VISTA volunteer, Winsome is a trained electrician and successful businesswoman. However, Winsome is most proud of her community work leading a men’s prison ministry and as director of a women’s homeless shelter. She holds a B.A. in English with a minor in Economics, and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership, with a concentration in Government. Winsome and her husband, Terence, have two daughters Katia and Janel, in addition to DeJon, and granddaughters Victoria and Faith, who are now looking into the face of God.
Ferrum College President Dr. Mirta M. Martin is honored to have the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia participate in this year’s commencement exercises and inauguration ceremony. “We are delighted to announce that our commencement ceremonies will feature an inspiring keynote speech from Winsome Earle-Sears, the esteemed Lieutenant Governor of our Commonwealth. As a leader who embodies the strength of diversity and as a champion of education, her accomplishments and dedication serve as a beacon of inspiration for all of us, especially our graduating students. We look forward to her wisdom and empowering words as our Ferrum College graduates prepare to transform the world.”
The Ferrum College commencement and inauguration ceremonies will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2024 in Hart Plaza on campus.
