Janie Barrera, member of the OLLU Board of Trustees and founding president and chief executive officer of LiftFund, will serve as commencement speaker during ceremonies on Dec. 19 at Freeman Coliseum, where OLLU will confer degrees for more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students.
Barrera has led LiftFund — created in 1994 — to hold the nation’s largest microlending portfolio. The nonprofit agency provides small loans and management training to microenterprises of all kinds — from startups to long-established businesses — and operates in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.
Barrera is responsible for the LiftFund’s financial management, oversight of its annual budget and the development of methodology and loan delivery procedures. She has been named the Small Business Administration Financial Services Advocate of the Year and the Minority Enterprise Development Consortium’s Corporate Advocate of the Year. The San Antonio Business Journal listed Barrera as one of “Twenty Defining Players: People Who Have Helped Shape the City,” and also named her as one of 2013’s “Legacy Leaders.” She has served on many national, state and local boards, including the Federal Reserve Board’s National Consumer Advisory Council. President Barack Obama appointed Barrera to the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability and she also was named to the board of directors for the Federal Reserve of Dallas’ San Antonio Branch.
Graduation celebrations and preparations begin Friday with Ring Blessing and Graduation Liturgy.
The following is the schedule of events:
Friday
Ring Blessing – Noon – Sacred Heart Chapel
Students will have the opportunity to have their graduation rings individually blessed by OLLU Chaplain Very Rev. Kevin Fausz, CM, VU.
Graduation Liturgy – 3 p.m. – Sacred Heart Chapel
Graduating students and their families and friends are invited to celebrate Mass. Graduates put on their graduation hoods during the ceremony.
Saturday
Commencement Ceremonies – 11 a.m. – Freeman Coliseum located at 3201 E. Houston Street, 78219 – Check in for graduates begins at 9:30 a.m. Graduates should arrive no later than 10 a.m.