Nashville State Welcomes PNC Regional President Mike D. Johnson as 2025 Spring Commencement Speaker

Nashville State announced that PNC Regional President Mike D. Johnson will serve as the principal speaker for its 2025 Spring Commencement ceremony.

The ceremony will be held in Allen Arena at Lipscomb University on May 13, at 6 p.m.

"It is an honor to have Mike Johnson joining us as our commencement speaker this year," said Nashville State President Shanna L. Jackson. "Mike demonstrates an exceptional ability to lead while making a real difference in the communities PNC serves, and those are the same values we strive to instill in our students every day. We are grateful to PNC and thrilled that Mike -- who is steadfast in his support of Nashville State students -- will join us on such a special day.”

Johnson, who has served in his role since 2018, also heads PNC’s commercial banking across the state. Since entering the market in 2018, the bank has opened six Middle Tennessee branches.

In 2021, Nashville State announced it received a $306,000 grant from the PNC Foundation to establish an Early College partnership program at Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Whites Creek High School. The grant seeded funding for an early college program at Whites Creek, allowing students to earn credits toward an associate degree while completing their high school diploma.

The PNC Foundation grant resulted in the first cohort of 21 Whites Creek students earning their college degrees and high school diplomas, with more than a dozen others earning credits toward a degree.

Additionally, Nashville State and MNPS have Early College programs embedded at Cane Ridge and Glencliff high schools, with a fully immersive Early College High School on the college’s White Bridge campus, which was recently named a National Blue Ribbon school for high academic achievement. 

“Addressing Nashville State’s graduates and recognizing all of the outstanding students alongside their families is an honor,” Johnson said. “Supporting education means supporting growth, and I’m excited to be part of a team that invests in the success of the next generation.”

“Commencement is a celebration of all of our students hard work, tenacious dedication to self and family, and serves as their next step to economic mobility,” said Jackson.

Tickets are required by Lipscomb, and the event will be livestreamed. To accommodate the large attendance, graduates will receive six tickets each.

For any student needing additional tickets, please coordinate with classmates who are not using their full allotment.