DALLAS, Pa. — Joseph Boylan, a business leader and Penn State Wilkes-Barre alumnus, will serve as the speaker for the commencement ceremony at Penn State Wilkes-Barre on May 10, Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Lynda Goldstein announced.
Commencement begins at 10 a.m. in the Athletic and Recreation Building and will also be livestreamed.
“We are pleased that Joe Boylan has accepted the invitation to give the commencement address to the Class of 2025,” Goldstein said. “His resilience and determination to overcome challenges in pursuit of his degree are inspiring. I think the students will find many of the experiences he has faced relatable. The success he has achieved demonstrates where a combination of effort and commitment can lead.”
Boylan said, “I’m honored for the opportunity to be this year’s commencement speaker. Penn State, especially the Wilkes-Barre campus, has meant so much to me. My Penn State education and network have given me so many opportunities. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Penn State.”
Boylan lives in Harveys Lake with his wife, Lindsay Griffin-Boylan, president and chief executive officer of the Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce. His daughter, Madeline, 20, is a second-year Interior design and architecture student at Drexel University.
Boylan works as portfolio director at Throughline, an enterprise design and strategy firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. In his role, he oversees the company’s digital transformation and user experience portfolio, managing a team of employees across the United States.
The firm works with clients including the Department of Defense, the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Carnival Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation and e.l.f. Beauty.
“We are problem solvers. Our strategists distill what’s complex and our designers make it visual and actionable,” Boylan said. “We’re known for using a visual communication style to ignite innovation, create positive change, and solve complex business problems.”
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business with a concentration in marketing and management. His path to earn his degree was not without its struggles and challenges, something he said he wants to relate to the graduates.
“I quit or gave up on Penn State numerous times, but the University and the people there never gave up on me,” Boylan said. After his first year at Penn State Wilkes Barre, he transitioned to University Park, but then withdrew after the first semester of his third year.
“I had tremendous anxiety and I was mentally unraveling and struggling with confidence,” he said. “But after about two years off, I was in a better place. I recommitted to my education and went back to finish my degree at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.”
Boylan said it was his connections at Penn State Wilkes-Barre that put him on the path to success beginning with an internship opportunity. After his planned internship with Philadelphia sports teams didn’t work out, one of his instructors, Theresa Clemente, assistant teaching professor of business, introduced him to Teri Ooms, who was in the beginning stages of starting a nonprofit that would become known as The Institute.
The Institute was established as the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development, a think tank with offices in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton offering data analysis, research and consulting. During his internship, Boylan reviewed Brookings reports and provided analysis. At the completion of his internship, he was hired as a research analyst for The Institute.
He has continued his connection with Penn State Wilkes-Barre, serving as a member of the campus Advisory Board and as a guest speaker for Clemente’s classes.
“Penn State Wilkes-Barre is a special place for me,” he said. “My journey reflects what Terry Clemente, Lynda Goldstein and the University have done for me. I always credit Terry and Lynda, who was also one of my instructors, for opening my eyes to what was available, what I could do and where I could go. While going back allowed me to prove to myself that I could accomplish something, Terry and Lynda showed me as a nontraditional student that I could accomplish even more after I finished my degree.”
After leaving The Institute, Boylan worked for Sen. John Yudichak, advancing to the role of district director. He was later appointed as vice president of economic development for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, where he oversaw a restructuring that resulted in the elimination of $15 million in debt and the addition of $2 million in capital during a four-year timeframe. Boylan also worked as executive director of Wilkes-Barre Connect, a chamber program that focuses on attaining resources for entrepreneurs. He assisted in developing a partnership between Wilkes-Barre Connect and the Penn State Wilkes-Barre LaunchBox, one of the first entrepreneurial outreaches established as part of Invent Penn State, allowing both organizations to share resources and programming. He was recognized for his role with Invent Penn State during a dinner with then-President Eric Barron.
“Penn State footprints have appeared again and again throughout my career,” Boylan said.
During his commencement address, he said he plans to recognize the students for their hard work and share his journey with them.
“I want to have them understand that I know what it takes to be in that seat,” he said. “I was there and it’s not easy. It takes commitment, hard work and sometimes a second job or finding daycare. We will celebrate their hard work and never forget the commitment it took to get there.”
Boylan said he also wants to encourage the graduates to recognize the power of their support networks and the Penn State alumni network.
“I will tell them to look to the audience and know that during their journey in life, there will be some missteps, dark times or times when they’re uncertain. But the family and friends who have supported them will always support them,” he said. “And this is an incredible family of Penn Staters they have entered into. You never know where you are going to run into a Penn State graduate, no matter if it’s personal or job-related. At some point in their lives when they need it, that University network will be there.”