Speakers for Lakeland University’s three commencement ceremonies have been selected.
Speakers for Lakeland University’s three commencement ceremonies have been selected.
Lakeland will hold its 161st commencement on Saturday, May 13, in the Woltzen Gymnasium in the Wehr Center on LU’s Main Campus.
All three speakers will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from LU.
La Hoz is a licensed clinical psychologist who for 20 years has brought psychological and social science researched-based principles to leadership, professional development, wellness and family life. La Hoz’s portfolio of leadership and business experience includes therapeutic, coaching and administrative roles.
La Hoz initially founded Family Bridges as a program of Meier Clinics. Since 2016, Family Bridges has grown from a program in the Chicagoland region to an international non-for-profit organization focused on family strengthening and professional development operating in Chicago, Phoenix, Wisconsin and several Latin American countries.
La Hoz has developed research-informed curricula on conflict-resolution and stress management based on outcomes of programs delivered to more than 160,000 persons in low-income and distressed communities. La Hoz launched Bridges XL, a professional development coaching organization for key leaders and has delivered leadership programs to corporate and business organizations.
She has authored/co-authored two books: “Working with Latino Individuals, Couples and Families,” a resource workbook for Latino couples intended to help empower couples with communication and conflict-resolution skills, and “The Struggle Is Real: Modern Parenting,” a book and multi-media podcast.
La Hoz has a doctor of psychology from Wheaton College and a master of arts in counseling psychology from Trinity International University-Florida.
A first-generation Ukrainian American, Zachary was born in Michigan and learned English by watching educational television. This experience of using television to better lives inspired him from a young age, setting the tone for a professional career that spans 40 years and is dedicated to projects that educate, inspire and reflect the needs and interests of the greater community.
Over a four-decade career, Zachary found success as a journalist, an executive in the broadcasting and film industries and public television. He was most recently vice president & general manager for Milwaukee PBS, which under his leadership became one of the most-watched PBS stations in the country, surpassed fundraising goals and establishing itself as a major producer of news and entertainment projects.
In 2022, he fulfilled a lifelong goal of completing his college degree when he graduated from Lakeland at the age of 65 with a bachelor’s degree in communication.
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Cumberbatch has a long record of serving Milwaukee's underserved communities. He is co-founder of The Opportunity Center, Inc., board chair of Bizstarts, a founding member of Milwaukee Youth Sports Alliance and has served on the boards of Community Brainstorming Conference, Latino Community Center, Scaling Wellness in Milwaukee, Penfield Children's Center and is former program manager with Acts Housing.
In his role at Bader Philanthropies, he leads the foundation’s exploration of a neighborhood, place-based strategy to complement the foundation’s existing grantmaking, with an emphasis on the Harambee neighborhood. He has more than 30 years of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. He was a senior programmer analyst for Waukesha County and a candidate for and later senior advisor to the Mayor of Milwaukee.
He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where he is also a member of athletics Hall of Fame.
