MONMOUTH, Ore. – Western Oregon University is pleased to announce that Dan Rayfield, who serves as Oregon’s 69^th Speaker of the House, will be this year’s keynote speaker for the 2023 Commencement Ceremony on June 17th, 2023. 

A WOU alum 03’, Speaker Rayfield majored in Geography. After graduating from WOU, Speaker Rayfield attended Willamette University School of Law. Speaker Rayfield represents House District 16, encompassing Corvallis and Oregon State University. He is also an attorney who works on behalf of individuals bringing consumer and civil rights cases against large corporations, insurance companies, and others.

Since joining the legislature in 2015, Speaker Rayfield has served as Co-Chair of Joint Ways and Means, the Legislature’s budget-writing committee, several of the budget subcommittees, and the House Rules Committee. Throughout this time, he has focused on investing in democracy, making strategic investments in housing and homelessness, good-paying jobs for working families, behavioral health and healthcare, mitigating the impacts of climate change on our most vulnerable communities, making Oregon communities safer, and stronger schools. 

Prior to 2020, WOU’s Commencement Ceremony featured several notable Keynote speakers including Peter Courtney, Jackie Winters, Matt Utterbacl, Dr. Claire Oliveros, Kurt Schrader, and most recently, Rosa Lee Timm. WOU’s Keynote speakers are selected to inspire, encourage, and congratulate the members of each unique graduating class. We are pleased to bring back this tradition as we send off our 2023 graduates. We want to express our gratitude and appreciation to Speaker Rayfield for being this year’s Keynote speaker.