Bay Path University

Inaugural Address Speaker margaret a. mckenna, j.d. President Emerita, Lesley University Margaret A. McKenna, lawyer and educator, is a leading expert in educational opportunity and philanthropy. McKenna is President Emerita of Lesley University, where she provided 22 years of service in support of its mission. She also served as president of Suffolk University, interim director of the Sillerman Center, Heller School at Brandeis University, and vice president of Radcliffe, Harvard University. From 2007 to 2011, McKenna served as president of the Walmart Foundation, where she led a $2 billion hunger campaign, women's economic initiative, and a variety of initiatives to close the Education Opportunity Gap. As president, McKenna led Lesley from a small regional college to a nationally recognized university with one of the leading teacher training programs in the country. e Student Center and a Chair in Leadership and Social Change were named in her honor to recognize her contributions during her tenure. McKenna started her career as a civil rights lawyer in the United States Department of Justice. She had a distinguished career in federal government as a civil rights lawyer with the Department of Justice, Deputy Under Secretary of Education, and Deputy White House Counsel, under President Jimmy Carter. Prior to Lesley, McKenna worked at Radcliff College, Harvard University, where she served as director of the Bunting Institute and vice president. McKenna has served on a number of boards and commissions including Dominion Resources; America's Promise; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; and the Boston Chamber of Commerce. Currently, she is member of the Board of Trustees for Beth Israel Lahey Health; the vice chair of the Boston After School and Beyond Program; and is the chairwoman of the Boston Human Rights Commission under Mayor Michelle Wu. A tireless advocate for the underrepresented, McKenna has spoken at national and international meetings on issues of leadership, social justice, educational opportunity, and the role and impact of philanthropy. McKenna received her undergraduate degree from Emmanuel College, her Juris Doctor ( J.D.) from Southern Methodist University, and is the recipient of ten honorary degrees.

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