Sen. Roland Pederson will speak at Northwestern’s 120th Spring Commencement on May 11

April 25, 2019

Sen. Roland Pederson

Roland Pederson, an Oklahoma state senator from Burlington elected in 2016, will deliver the address to graduates at Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s 120th commencement exercise at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 11, at Ranger Field. In case of inclement weather, commencement will take place in Percefull Fieldhouse.

A 1972 graduate of Northwestern, Pederson earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university. He has spent the majority of his professional life, together with his wife Terry, building a family farm business that his Danish immigrant father began. For the past 40 years, they primarily have produced cattle, wheat and alfalfa.

Prior to pursuing production agriculture full-time, he served as a Chisholm High School science teacher and as Kremlin-Hillsdale Middle School’s principal.

Pederson’s long history of community service includes 20 years on the Burlington Cooperative Association board of directors, 30 years on the Alfalfa County Farm Bureau board of directors, past president of the Burlington Lions Club, and service on the Alfalfa Electric Cooperative Round-Up board of directors. He was also appointed to serve on the Agriculture Diversification and Enhancement Board and was a member of the Class III Oklahoma Agriculture Leadership Program.

He is also well-known for his volunteer leadership on the Oklahoma Farm Bureau board of directors. Statewide awards include Oklahoma Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year and Oklahoma Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award.

The District 19 senator serves as vice chair of the Agriculture and Wildlife Committee and is a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services, the Education Committee and the General Government Committee.

A livestream link for the commencement exercises can be found at http://riderangersride.com/watch.

-NW-

Contact for Release
Erin Davis, University Relations Specialist
eedavis@nwosu.edu; 580-327-8480