MassBay Community College has named State Senator Karen Spilka, of Ashland, as its keynote speaker for the College’s 54^th Commencement on Thursday, May 19 at the Wellesley Hills campus.

“Senator Spilka has been a champion of the people and businesses of MetroWest,” said MassBay Interim President Yves Salomon-Fernandez. “We saw it fitting this year to honor her and we know that she will inspire our students to be civic leaders, regardless of their choice of career.”

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In addition, MassBay will honor Senator Spilka with the Distinguished Service Award.

Senator Spilka is the State Senator for the 2^nd Middlesex and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Ashland, Framingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway and Natick in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. She serves as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, the committee that oversees the budget and finances of the Commonwealth. She also chairs the Biotech Legislative Caucus and the Tech Hub Caucus. Senator Spilka’s legislative accomplishments include efforts in a broad range of areas including economic development, jobs creation, education, juvenile justice and services for the elderly and disabled communities.

Senator Spilka was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in the fall of 2001, where she served three years before her election to the State Senate in January 2005.

Senator Spilka is a graduate of Northeastern Law School and holds a B.S. from Cornell University.