Retired coast guard admiral will deliver 2011 commencement address

Retired U.S. Coast Guard admiral Thad Allen has worked on the scenes of hurricanes, helped lead security responses on September 11, and was the national incident commander of the recent BP oil spill. In May, Allen will set his sights to George Mason University as he is scheduled to give the commencement speech at graduation, according to the Mason Gazette.

Allen will be the keynote speaker for Mason’s 2011 Commencement, which is to be held Sat. May 21 at 10 a.m. This will be Mason 44th commencement and it will be located in the Patriot Center.

Allen was set to retire in May 2010, but when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, President Barack Obama asked Allen to serve as the national incident commander of the disaster.

In his role Allen was in charge of coordinating with federal, state and local organizations, and directing the efforts of BP. Allen also appeared frequently on television news explaining the how the government was responding to the situation.

Allen is no stranger to disaster, he was designated the principal federal official for Hurricane Katrina response and recovery operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Allen also served in the same role for Hurricane Rita in the response and recovery activities in Louisiana.

In June 2010, Allen officially retired from active duty service, after 39 years of service.

A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and George Washington University, Allen is currently one of George Washington University’s Distinguished Professors of Practice. He teaches a course on Leadership in Large, and Complex Organizations.

Mason’s commencement speaker last year was Senator Jim Webb. Thad Allen will be awarded an honorary doctor in humane letters at the commencement ceremony.