Secretary Marcia L. Fudge
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L. Fudge will deliver the summer commencement address at The Ohio State University. Secretary Fudge is a former congresswoman who earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Ohio State.
Secretary Fudge is the 18th secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was appointed by President Biden and confirmed in 2021.
Before her time as secretary, she represented the 11th Congressional District in Ohio from 2008 to March 9, 2021. She was a member of several Congressional Caucuses and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Secretary Fudge earned a reputation in Congress for tackling the challenges of her district by working with the Ohio delegation and across political ideologies.
In 1999, Secretary Fudge was elected the first female and first African American mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, a position she held for two terms. In that role, she adopted one of the first vacant and abandoned property ordinances in the state.
Secretary Fudge’s career in public service began in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. She earned her law degree from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.
Commencement speaker selection
Your help is needed to identify Commencement speakers who can inspire graduates, their families, our faculty, and other guests. The Office of Academic affairs explains the criteria and process for selecting a commencement speaker.
