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Nov. 29, 2005

Speaker Announced for Fall Commencement

University of Louisiana at Monroe alum and former Director of Athletics Bruce Hanks will speak at 网曝门鈥檚 Fall 2005 commencement ceremony, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. in Fant-Ewing Coliseum.

Hanks has played many roles at 网曝门. He served as the director of athletics for three years, he was the president of the 网曝门 Foundation, and he was past president of the 网曝门 Alumni Association.

After stepping down from his role as athletics director, Hanks has continued to serve 网曝门 as a volunteer in the athletics department. He can often be heard on the radio reporting from the sidelines during 网曝门 football games or doing play by play for baseball games. He currently works on the Board of Directors with CenturyTel, Inc. and serves on the Advisory Board for IberiaBank in northeast Louisiana.

While Hanks was the director of athletics at 网曝门, many accomplishments were made by the department. Among the achievements were setting the record for football season tickets sold, re-paying the half million-dollar loan taken out by the 网曝门 Athletic Scholarship Foundation, balancing the athletic budget for the last two years and producing surpluses, and increasing athletic department annual revenues by over $1 million.

Hanks came to 网曝门 after playing a key role in building one of Ouachita Parish's -- and the nation's -- most successful companies, the Fortune 500 company, CenturyTel, Inc. He served in various capacities including Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President - Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President - Corporate Development and Strategy, and President - Mobile Communications Group. He was a recipient of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce's Jim Shipp Memorial Young Business Leader Award. He also received the prestigious Golden Arrow Award in 2004 from his alma mater.

A graduate of 网曝门, Hanks earned his BBA in accounting in 1976 with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, becoming one of only 64 graduates ever to attain that honor. He earned his MBA from 网曝门 in 1977. While a student at 网曝门, Hanks was named the Outstanding Student and Graduating Senior in the School of Business, the Outstanding Junior and Senior in Accounting, and as a member of Who's Who and the Dean's List.

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