West Liberty, W.Va., April 21, 2015 — Pittsburgh banking leader and WLU alumna Kristina K. Williams will deliver the commencement address at West Liberty University’s Spring 2015 Commencement Ceremony. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m., Saturday, May 9, in the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC).
Interim President Dr. John McCullough will preside at the ceremony and will present Williams with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Three hundred and eighty five students are expected to complete graduation requirements during the spring semester.
“I am pleased to welcome Kris as our commencement speaker. I know that her advice and perspective will offer our graduates a message that will be meaningful as they begin the next step in their professional careers. I thank Kris personally for taking the time from her busy schedule to address the Class of 2015, their families and friends and all our honored guests,” McCullough said.
Williams was born and raised in Wheeling, spending much time at West Liberty where her father, Roland E. “Rollie” Williams taught for 37 years. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, Jim Taibi, also a WLU alumnus.
She is the chief operating officer (COO) for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLBank Pittsburgh). FHLBank Pittsburgh is one of 12 banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, established by Congress in 1932 to support the residential mortgage and community development activities of local financial institutions.
Williams joined FHLBank Pittsburgh in December 2004 as chief accounting officer and has held a number of executive positions. She became chief financial officer in 2006; executive vice president with additional responsibility for technology and operating services and human resources in 2010; and chief operating officer in 2011. As COO, Williams has responsibility for all member-facing activities including member services, community investment, product delivery, marketing and communications, and information technology.
Prior to joining FHLBank Pittsburgh, Williams served as chief financial officer of wholesale banking for PNC Financial Services Group where she also spent time in SEC and regulatory reporting and served as director of accounting policy. Previous experience includes public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte & Touche.
Williams graduated magna cum laude from West Liberty in 1986 and received her Masters in Professional Accountancy degree from West Virginia University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Board of Directors for the West Liberty University Foundation.
Doors open for seating at commencement at 9:30 a.m. and tickets are not required.
The Commencement Ceremony will be televised live on WLU-TV 14 (Comcast Channel 14) and online at wltvonline.com.
A reception for graduates, guests and families will be held in the College Union immediately following the ceremony. Parking will be available for guests behind the ASRC.
West Liberty University is a forward-looking, four-year public university steeped in a rich heritage as West Virginia’s oldest institution of higher education. Five colleges and the School of Professional Studies offer more than 60 majors and 30 programs. Graduate programs include the Master of Arts in Education, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and the Master of Professional Studies degrees. For more information, please call 1.866.WESTLIB for more information.