Commencement 2026 Speaker & Honorees Announced

Leo J. Meehan III ’75, president and chief executive officer of W.B. Mason Company, Inc., will serve as keynote speaker at Stonehill College’s 75th Commencement on Sunday, May 17. 

The prominent local business leader will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree alongside Matt Brown ’16, who established the Matt Brown Foundation, and Sister Andrea Lee, I.H.M., senior consultant for higher education mission integration with the U.S. Province of Holy Cross.

“I look forward to recognizing this year’s honorees during our Commencement exercises. Throughout their lives and careers, they have exemplified an enduring commitment to compassion and service—values we work diligently to instill in all our students during their Stonehill experience,” said Rev. John Denning, C.S.C., president of the College. 

Leo J. Meehan III ’75, Doctor of Humane Letters

Meehan has led W.B. Mason, the oldest office products dealer in the United States, since 1994. Under his stewardship, the organization has grown into the largest privately held office products dealer in the country. He began his career with the company in 1975, immediately following his graduation from Stonehill College, serving as a sales representative. Before being appointed president and CEO, he held several other roles, including vice president of marketing, partner, and head of day-to-day operations and strategic planning.

Meehan, who has served on the Board of Trustees at Stonehill for over 20 years, played a pivotal role in helping the College establish the W.B. Mason Forum on the Future of Southeastern Massachusetts in 1992. A strong advocate for the College’s football program, he also secured his company’s $1.5 million donation for W.B. Mason Stadium at Stonehill, which was dedicated on September 10, 2006. 

In 2017, W.B. Mason pledged $10 million in support of business education at Stonehill. The organization’s philanthropy paved the way for the opening of the Leo J. Meehan School of Business in 2019. Since its establishment, the school has empowered students to become compassionate leaders in business, economics and healthcare management.

Matt Brown ’16, Doctor of Humane Letters

When Brown was a sophomore at Norwood High School in Massachusetts, he sustained a spinal cord injury during a 2010 hockey game. He spent 21 days at Children’s Hospital Boston, then 100 days at the Shepherd Center Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta, Georgia, before returning home. 

Though he had missed four months of school, Brown was determined to graduate with his class. After completing coursework over the summer, he began his junior year on time and graduated from high school in 2012, receiving the “Golden Diploma Award” for overcoming adversity.  

Brown went on to attend Stonehill College, where he lived on campus all four years and earned a degree in communication. In recognition of his positive spirit, the 2016 Senior Class Gift Committee established the Matt Brown ’16 Perseverance Scholarship.

 In 2020, Brown and his family launched the Matt Brown Foundation. Through its fundraising efforts, the organization has awarded over $550,000 in grants to individuals living with paralysis, supporting needs such as handicapped accessible vehicles, bathroom renovations, home modifications and specialized equipment. To help advance the foundation’s mission, Brown has competed in over a dozen marathons with Lucas Carr, his running partner. 

Brown is the author of Line Change, co-written with Todd Civin. This book offers readers a powerful message about facing challenges. Brown is also a motivational speaker for high schools, colleges and organizations, sharing his insights with audiences about navigating life’s changes.  

Sister Andrea Lee, I.H.M., Doctor of Humane Letters

Sister Lee began her career as a teacher at the U.S. Embassy School in Germany and the Archdiocese of Chicago.

She held leadership roles at Marygrove College from 1979 to 1998, including dean, chief financial officer, executive vice president and interim president. During her tenure, Marygrove became a pioneer in allied health education and innovative continuing education programs.

As president of St. Catherine University—the nation’s largest and most comprehensive college for women—from 1998 to 2016, Sister Lee expanded enrollment, elevated the college to university status, grew graduate and healthcare programs, and secured over $250 million to support students and strategy.

At Alverno College, where she served as president from 2016 to 2022, she established a healthcare campus in Arizona, acquired the Columbia College of Nursing and obtained designation as Wisconsin’s first Hispanic-serving institution.

During a year as interim vice president for academic affairs at St. Norbert College, she collaborated with faculty to articulate an academic strategy and successfully led the institution’s reaccreditation process. She later served as staff chaplain at the University of Notre Dame and assisted in mission assessment for the 17 colleges and universities sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. She is currently a senior higher education consultant for the U.S. Province of Holy Cross Priests and Brothers.

A member of several healthcare and education boards, Sister Lee is the 2025 recipient of the Theodore M. Hesburgh Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.