Ardisana and Anger to speak at December commencement ceremonies

Ardisana will speak at the morning ceremony, beginning at 10 a.m., for graduates of the College of Business, College of Education, Health, and Human Services, and College of Engineering and Computer Science. Anger will speak at the afternoon ceremony, beginning at 3 p.m., for graduates of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters.

Student Brendan Gallagher, alumnus Jim Skrobosinski ('02 B.B.A.) and associate professor of organizational behavior Joy Beatty also will speak during the morning ceremony, while student Pamela Yaacoub, alumnus Jennifer Sabourin ('95 B.A.) and associate professor of mathematics Joan Remski will address graduates in the afternoon. Additional speakers will include UM-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little and Kate Davy, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.

Lizabeth Ardisana

Ardisana is the co-founder, principal owner and chief executive officer of ASG Renaissance, a technical and communication services firm with more than 250 employees in four offices worldwide.

As the CEO, Ardisana is responsible for the company’s overall strategic direction and financial management while also taking an active role working directly with clients on various projects.

In addition to managing ASG, Ardisana is an active business and civic leader in the Michigan and Hispanic communities. She serves on numerous corporate and educational boards and has received numerous awards for her contributions to the community. She has served on the Skillman Foundation board since 2006 and was also the first women elected chair of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Currently, she is on the board of First Merit Bank, Focus: HOPE, Kettering University, Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, Michigan Colleges Foundation, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Oakwood Healthcare and the University of Michigan Alumni Association, to name just a few.

In 2012, Ardisana received UM’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She also was named to the Electrifying 100 by Automotive News, Leaders and Innovators by Lawrence Technological University, Michiganian of the Year and one of Metro Detroit’s most influential women.

Prior to starting ASG Renaissance, Ardisana worked at Ford Motor Company as an engineer. During her 14 years with Ford, she quickly advanced up the ranks, holding various management positions in vehicle development, product planning and marketing.

Ardisana holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Detroit, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Texas.

Paul Anger

Anger has been with The Detroit Free Press since August 2005, when he was named vice president and editor. He became editor and publisher in May 2009.

Under Anger, who won the 2009 National Press Foundation Ben Bradlee Editor of the Year award, the Free Press has been recognized for wide-ranging journalism excellence, enhanced its watchdog reporting, become an industry leader in video production and quality and shown record digital growth. Anger helped develop the Free Press’ ground-breaking publishing model, which emphasizes digital and multi-media news and newspaper delivery to homes on three of the seven days of publication.

The Free Press won a 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting—its ninth Pulitzer Prize—for a yearlong investigation of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and the text-message scandal that engulfed him.

Anger serves on the Detroit Media Partnership executive committee. He is president of Free Press Charities, chair of Reading Works and a board member of both the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition and New Detroit. He has been a Pulitzer Prize judge four times and was named Gannett’s Editor of the Year for 2008.

Anger has more than 44 years’ experience as a reporter, editor and publisher. He was vice president and editor of the Des Moines Register from January 2002 until moving to Detroit. The Register was a Pulitzer finalist in investigative reporting during his time there. Before the 2004 Iowa Caucuses, Anger moderated a nationally televised debate involving Democratic presidential candidates.

Before going to Des Moines, he worked as a news editor for the Knight Ridder News Service in Washington, D.C., editing national and international coverage. He worked for the Miami Herald for 29 years in several leadership roles, including sports editor, Broward editor and Herald Broward publisher.

Anger graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He has seven children and stepchildren with wife Vickie Dahlman-Anger.