Annenberg graduation speakers announced

The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism officially announced Monday Debra L. Lee, chairman and CEO of BET Networks, as the commencement speaker for the School of Communication and Jorge Ramos, anchor for Univision and Fusion, as the commencement speaker for the School of Journalism.

The ceremonies will take place on May 15.

Previous commencement speakers for Annenberg include KPCC President and CEO Bill Davis, Grammy-award winning music producer T Bone Burnett and former First Lady of California Maria Shriver.

Lee, hailed for her successes throughout the span of her 25-year career with Black Entertainment Networks, is the highest-ranked African-American woman at Viacom Inc., and is also an inductee in the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame.

During her time as COO and CEO for BET, Lee increased the production budget by more than 25 percent and redesigned the company’s mission statement to include more familial support and vision setting for families, according to a statement from BET. She has also increased viewership and revenue after overseeing major initiatives and additions to the network, such as the creation of shows including Let’s Stay Together, The Game, Black Girls Rock!, The Mo’Nique Show and Sunday Best. In 2005, Lee also added CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network to garner the attention of more viewers.

Lee, a graduate of Brown University, also earned a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University and a law degree at Harvard Law School. Lee holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Brown University.

In 1981, she began her legal career as a law clerk for Barrington Parker for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She was later appointed to the position of vice president of BET’s legal affairs department and general counsel in 1986. A decade later, Lee became the president and COO of BET Holdings, Inc. Lee currently sits on the board of directors for several multmillion-dollar companies, such as Revlon and Marriott.

Ramos, a recipient of eight Emmy Awards, is known for his work reporting for Noticiero and has received the Maria Moors Cabot Award for excellence in Journalism. He received his master’s degree in international studies at the University of Miami.

A native to Mexico City, Ramos graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in communications. In 1983, Ramos began his career in journalism when he took his first job as a reporter for KMEX-TV, a subsidiary of Univision Los Angeles. Ramos also has experience working for Telemundo, Fox Sports and ESPN Deportes.

The School of Communication ceremony will be held in McCarthy Quad, and the School of Journalism ceremony will be held at the John C. Argue Plaza.