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A graphic announcing Tammy Thurman as the keynote speaker for the 61st annual commencement exercises

Fayetteville Technical Community College is honored to announce Tammy Thurman as the keynote speaker for the College’s 61st Annual Commencement Exercises.

Graduates will be recognized in two ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 12 at the Crown Coliseum. Thurman will deliver the keynote address at both events. The public is welcome to attend.

Thurman is the Senior Community Relations and Government Affairs Manager for Piedmont Natural Gas, where she seeks to build sustainable relationships with community stakeholders and groups. She is also a member of the FTCC Board of Trustees, a position she’s held since November.

Thurman has been dedicated to community service, serving in various capacities for a number of years. She attributes her desire to encourage and help people in part to her own experience of surviving Stage 2 ovarian cancer.

She is a member of the Board of Visitors at Fayetteville State University; the Advisory Board for the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; and the Board of Trustees at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

She is the immediate past chair of the Board of Directors of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber and chaired its CEO/President search/nominating committee. She is a member of the chamber’s Military Advisory Council and has chaired the SIM (Spouses in Military) Conference for the Chamber and the USO of North Carolina at Fort Bragg.

Thurman is a previous member of the United Way of Cumberland County’s Board of Directors, has co-chaired the Go Red for Women campaign by the American Heart Association, served as an event judge for Ethics Bowl competition, and been a member of The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County’s “True to Yourself” Black History Month committee.

She has been recognized numerous times for her service and is the recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service, the 2020 Chairman’s Award, the 2022 Woman-Owned Business of the Year Award and the United Way of Cumberland County’s Loaned Executive of the Year award. She is also a two-time Athena Award nominee.

Thurman, who is a native of Dunn, holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Augustine University.