The ceremony will take place on August 4 at 6 p.m., in the
Alfred L. Lawson Jr. Multipurpose Center and Teaching Gymnasium, located at
1800 Wahnish Way.
Nevels will share pearls of wisdom with graduates from his
more than 36 years of experience in the securities and investment industries,
including his work as a humanitarian and the founder of The Swarthmore Group.
Swarthmore is an investment advisory firm, based in Philadelphia, which manages
approximately $2.1 billion in institutional assets for a diverse group of
clients.
He was appointed by former President George W. Bush to the
Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and served a
three-year term from 2004-2007, including a stint as chairman.
Nevels also serves on the board of directors of three public
companies including First Data and Alcoa Corporation and as lead independent
director of WestRock. He is currently a member of the board of The Barbara Bush
Foundation for Family Literacy and previously served as chairman and lead
independent director of The Hershey Company and a member of the board of the
Hershey Trust Company and Milton Hershey School.
He graduated with honors from Bucknell University and holds
a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy, a Master of Business
Administration from The Wharton School – University of Pennsylvania, and a
juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Nevels has also
received four honorary degrees.
His awards and achievements include the NYSE Governance Services
Inaugural Leadership Award for “Non-executive Chairman of the Year” nomination,
the American Jewish Committee Civic Achievement Award, the Bucknell University
Humanitarian Service Alumni Award, and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
Award of Excellence.
The Philadelphia Tribune has listed him as “One of
Philadelphia’s Most Influential African Americans.”