Speaker is First African American Woman to Command a Ship in the U.S. Navy
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) will recognize 511 candidates for degrees and certificates during its 13th Winter Commencement held Jan. 12 at the La Plata Campus. A keynote address will be provided by Rear Admiral Michelle Howard, chief of staff to the director for strategic plans and policy, J-5, Joint Staff.
Howard is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Armys Command and General Staff College, with a masters degree in military arts and sciences. Her initial sea tours were aboard USS Hunley and USS Lexington. While serving on Lexington, Howard received the secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins award which is given to one woman officer a year for outstanding leadership. She served on the USS Flint and as executive officer of USS Tortuga which deployed to the Adriatic Sea in support of a peacekeeping effort in the former Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1999, Howard took command of USS Rushmore, becoming the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy.
Howards shore assignments include J-3 Global Operations, Readiness Joint Staff, executive assistant to the Joint Staff director of Operations, deputy director N3 on the OPNAV staff, deputy director Expeditionary Warfare Division, OPNAV staff and senior military assistant to the secretary of the Navy.
For information on graduation, visit http://www.csmd.edu/Commencement/.