An author, lecturer, and innovative leader in landscape and garden design theory and practice, Julie Moir Messervy is the principal of Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio in Saxtons River, Vermont. She is the 2010 Commencement speaker and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Julie Moir Messervy’s vision for composing landscapes of beauty and meaning is furthering the evolution of landscape design and changing the way people create and enjoy their outdoor surroundings. Her books include The Toronto Music Garden: Inspired by Bach (2009), Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love (2009), and Outside the Not So Big House, with architect Sarah Susanka (2008). Her other titles include The Magic Land (1998), The Inward Garden (1995), and Contemplative Gardens (1990).

Julie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College and Master of Architecture and Master in City Planning degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Julie's design work and books have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Elle Decor, Vogue, Garden Design, and Landscape Architecture.

Julie is the honored recipient of the Association for Professional Landscape Designer's 2006 Award of Distinction. In 2007, The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth presented Julie with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree.

Paula C. Lunder will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

Paula Crane Lunder was born and educated in the public schools of Chicago, Illinois and graduated from Lesley College with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1959. Over the past 45 years she has volunteered in many organizations and schools including The Waterville Boys and Girls Club; The Waterville Historical Society; The Kennebec Valley Mental Health Organization; the committee to establish The Rape Crisis Hotline; Maine General-Thayer Hospital Volunteers; and the PBS committee to raise awareness and provide funding for digital programming. She has served as a docent in the public schools and at the Colby College Museum of Art; a volunteer in the Guidance Office of Waterville High School; a Board Member of the Maine Holocaust Center for Human Rights and on the committee to raise funds for The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. She is a life long member of Hadassah, B’nai B’rith and Sisterhood at Beth Israel Synagogue. At Colby College, she served as a trustee for eight years and is now a Life Trustee, receiving an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1996. She currently serves on the Colby College Museum of Art Governing Board; the Dana-Farber Institute Visiting Committee for Hematology. A former Trustee of Babson College, she now serves as a Director of The Lunder Foundation.

Peter H. Lunder will receive an honorary Doctorate of Science in Business Administration.

Peter H. Lunder was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, and attended Newton, Massachusetts public schools and Hebron Academy. He graduated from Colby College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1956, and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Colby in 1996. Prior to founding Kenilworth, Inc., he was the Co-chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dexter Shoe Company, a family business that was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 1993. He is also a former limited partner of the Boston Red Sox, Board Chairman of Pan Am Shoe Company and President of OCSAP Ltd. and former member of the Babson College Corporation Board. Peter is a former Vice Chairman of the National Board of the Smithsonian Institution and Commissioner Emeritus of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). Currently, he is a Colby College Lifetime Overseer and member of the Colby Museum of Art Governing Board and Acquisition Committee. He is Chairman of The Lunder Foundation and a member of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Visiting Committee.

For more than 45 years Paula and Peter have lived in Waterville, and Dexter, Maine where they raised their 4 children, Marjorie, Marc, Steven and Alan.

In 2002, because of their strong commitment and belief in higher education for Maine students, they funded the Lunder Scholars Endowed Fund at Thomas College. During the past eight years, over 87 students have received financial assistance through the Lunder Scholars program at Thomas College. For six years, the Annual Thomas College Lunder Golf Invitational has raised additional funds for student financial aid with the help of many Thomas College friends and the Lunder Foundation Challenge.

Jon Jennings will be the speaker at the Honors Convocation.

Jon Jennings is a partner in Maine Basketball, LLC and is the president and general manager of the Maine Red Claws. Jennings served as Senior Assistant to the Cabinet Secretary and Director of Policy Coordination at the White House from 1998-1999, and held a position as a White House Fellow in the Office of Cabinet Affairs from 1997-1998. From April 1999 to June 2000, Jennings worked at the U.S. Department of Justice where he served as the Acting Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Attorney General for the Office of Legislative Affairs.

Jennings began his basketball career as a student assistant to Indiana University coach, Bob Knight and began his NBA career as a scout and video coordinator for the Indiana Pacers. Jennings served as an assistant coach and scouting coordinator for the Boston Celtics coaching the likes of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Reggie Lewis, including working as scout/video-coordinator for the 1986 World Champion Celtics. He also served as an assistant coach in the 1991 NBA All Star game in Charlotte, NC.

Jennings attended Indiana University (Bloomington) and Harvard University, where he received his master’s in public administration. In 2001, he was named the Joseph Martin, Jr. Scholar at Stonehill College in Easton, MA where he taught courses on the American Presidency.

Bob Moore will welcome the graduating class at the Commencement Dinner.

Bob Moore is Executive Director of Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed; a non-profit corporation organized in 2001 whose membership numbers over 6,500 today.

Prior to joining the Friends, Moore was General Manager of On Target Utility Services, a utility contractor operating throughout New England and New York. Starting with 14 employees in 1998, On Target grew to over 140 employees by 2001, with annual sales of $14 million. He graduated from Thomas College with a B.S. degree in Accounting in 1979.

Bob is a founding Board member and continues to serve on the Board of Directors of Camp KV for Kids, has served as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for both the Kennebec Valley YMCA and Augusta East Little League. He has served as Chair of the Cony High School All-Sports Boosters, the new Cony High School Building Committee and as a member of Team Cony, a private citizen’s group that raised over $1.5M to help fund the new high school. Bob coached Little League & Babe Ruth baseball and YMCA basketball for over 15 years in the Augusta area, and continues as a founding member and current Chair of the 15-year old Capital City Hoop Classic.

Bob was inducted into the Kennebec Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and has been recognized by the Le Club Calumet with their Outstanding Citizen Award in 2007 and by the Daughters of the American Revolution with their Conservation Award. In January of 2010, Bob accepted the “Community Service Award” awarded by the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Friend’s contributions to the Augusta area community.

A native of Attleboro, MA, Bob now resides in South China, Maine with wife Susan, and their 2-year old Golden Doodle “MAX”. Children Jason, Ryan, Andrea and Dan are all on their own – somewhat – residing in central Maine and the greater Boston area.