December Commencement to Feature Terry Lillis ’77

The Simpson College 2024 Fall Commencement ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 13, in Smith Chapel. Doors open at 5 p.m. No tickets are required.

Simpson Board of Trustees member and Alumni Achievement Award Winner Terry Lillis ’77 will serve as the Commencement speaker. Lillis retired as EVP and CFO of The Principal Financial Group in early 2017 after a distinguished 35-year career. He joined the company in 1982 and held various senior actuarial and management roles through 2000 when he was named CFO of retirement & investor services. A faithfully generous supporter of Simpson College, Lillis served as chair of the Trustees from 2017 to 2021.

Commencement guests can also look forward to special remarks from graduates Abby Fry ’24 and Kylee Bass ’23. Fry is graduating with a degree in International Relations and Social Justice Studies with Honors designation and a minor in Legal Studies. She earned several regional and national awards as a member of Simpson’s national champion Speech & Debate team. She has also been an active member of the Campus Activities Board and Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Bass graduated from Simpson Online and Graduate Studies in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in human services and criminal justice. After graduation, Bass worked a year as a victim advocate for the Meskwaki Tribe. Bass now works as a care coordinator at Capstone Behavioral Healthcare in the Integrated Health Home department and also sits on the Human Services Advisory Board at Simpson. Bass hopes to attend law school in the fall.

Following the ceremony, a reception with light refreshments will be held in the Kent Campus Center atrium. All guests are welcome to attend.

For additional details on commencement, please visit simpson.edu/commencement.