Lisa Sherman
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES, SEPTEMBER 18, 2021
Lisa Sherman
Doctor of Public Service
Citation presented by Sarah Niebler
Associate Professor of Political Science
Conferring of the Degree by John E. Jones III, Interim President
Lisa Sherman, we honor you today for your commitment to social justice and public service. As president and CEO of the Ad Council, you oversee all aspects of public service communications addressing issues facing the United States. You are currently partnering with dozens of private and public entities to create, produce and disseminate ads containing nonpartisan, scientific information about how COVID-19 spreads and the importance of getting vaccinated. This campaign follows in the long line of public health campaigns spearheaded by the Ad Council throughout its history.
In your early days at the Ad Council, you introduced the “Love Has No Labels” campaign, which promotes diversity, equity and inclusion of all people across race, religion, sexual orientation, age and ability. The launch video from the campaign was viewed 40 million times in its first two days, was ultimately viewed over 162 million times and was shared on social media over 2.6 million times. An ad from this campaign also became the first public service announcement to win an Emmy for best commercial.
As a member of the LGBTQ community, you have a personal connection to the diversity and inclusion work you do. You talk powerfully about how difficult it was to be in the closet at one of your previous places of employment, how liberating it was to come out of the corporate closet, and how your creativity was enhanced by being able to live your life openly and authentically. By coming out at work, you helped lay the groundwork for your former company to institute domestic partner benefits.
Prior to leading the Ad Council, you founded the Women’s Sports Network and helped launch LogoTV, the first cable network designed specifically for LGBTQ audiences.
You return to your alma mater to deliver today’s Commencement address to the class of 2020, a little over 40 years after walking down the stone steps of Old West yourself. We are thrilled to welcome you and your wife, Julie, to campus.
President Jones, for her trailblazing work increasing diversity in advertising and media and for leading the country’s efforts to create informative educational materials addressing public health, gun safety, racism and a host of other issues, I am honored to present to you, Lisa Sherman, for the honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service.
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Lisa Sherman, upon the recommendation of the faculty to the Board of Trustees, and by its mandamus, I confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa, with all the rights, privileges, and distinction thereunto appertaining, in token of which I present you with this diploma and cause you to be invested with the hood of Dickinson College appropriate to the degree.