U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge will give Ohio State’s 2023 summer commencement speech. Credit: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Marcia Fudge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary and Ohio State graduate, was announced as Ohio State’s summer commencement speaker earlier this month.
As a former congresswoman and Buckeye, Fudge will speak to about 1,600 graduates Aug. 6 at the Schottenstein Center, according to a university release.
“Fudge is the 18th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” the release said. “She was appointed by President Biden and confirmed in 2021.”
Chris Booker, associate director of media relations, said in an email that Ohio State looks forward to the message Fudge will deliver.
“An Ohio State alumnus, attorney, mayor, congresswoman and now member of the President’s Cabinet, Secretary Fudge can offer unique insights to this class of new Buckeyes,” Booker said.
After receiving a bachelor’s in business from Ohio State in 1975, Fudge attended law school at Cleveland State University, where she graduated in 1983.
Fudge began her public service career in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, and became the director of Budget and Finance.
Before becoming a U.S. Representative for the 11th Congressional District of Ohio in 2008, she was elected as the first female and first African American mayor of Warrensville Heights in 1999, where she served for two terms.
According to her HUD biography, Fudge adopted one of the first vacant and abandoned property ordinances in the state while serving as mayor.
“She worked with local officials to develop a taskforce to protect against predatory lending and she secured the inclusion of property maintenance grants in the Warrensville Revitalization Action Plan,” the biography states.
In addition to her roles as mayor and U.S. representative, Fudge was also a member of several congressional caucuses and was the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to her biography.
“As a Member of Congress, Secretary Fudge earned a reputation of tackling the unique challenges of her district by working with her Congressional delegation and across political ideologies,” the biography continued.
According to her biography, Fudge believes that housing issues do not fit into a one-size-fits-all approach and that Americans need policies and programs that can adapt to meet a community’s unique housing challenges.
“She is committed to making the dream of homeownership — and the security and wealth creation that comes with it — a reality for more Americans,” the website states.
The summer commencement ceremony will begin at 2 p.m., at the Schottenstein Center.
