UNH Announces 2026 Commencement Speakers and Granite State Award Recipient
Tom Hayes ’87, former CEO of Ocean Spray, will deliver the commencement address at the University of New Hampshire undergraduate ceremonies on Saturday, May 16, 2026. A respected leader in the food industry, with more than three decades of experience guiding major consumer brands, Hayes will offer words of inspiration to the class of ’26.
Tom Hayes ’87.
“My years at UNH not only helped me earn a degree but launched me on a career path that I have enjoyed every step of the way,” says Hayes. “My time in Durham gave me lifelong friends and taught me the value of balance and being open to possibilities. I hope I can inspire the same in this year’s graduates — to approach the world with excitement and wonder and to remain open, engaged, and well-rounded. The best is yet to come.”
Hayes has served as president and CEO of Ocean Spray since 2020, leading the world’s top producer of cranberry products, and overseeing a global cooperative of more than 700 grower-owners and 2,000 employees. His career includes significant leadership roles across the food sector, including serving as president and CEO of Tyson Foods, where he directed a $40 billion enterprise and advanced new strategies focused on growth, sustainability, and corporate purpose. Hayes has also served two terms on the UNH Foundation Board from 2019 to 2025 and is now a foundation board emeritus.
The UNH Graduate School commencement speaker will be Rebecca Rule ’76, ’79G. A humorist, storyteller, speaker, and author, Rule has built a statewide following through her live events, books, and long-running work with New Hampshire PBS and the New Hampshire Humanities Council. She hosted the New Hampshire Authors Series on New Hampshire PBS for 10 years and now hosts the station’s Our Hometown, highlighting the character and history of communities across the state. Her books include "N is for New Hampshire;" "The Iciest Diciest Scariest Sled Ride Ever!;" and "Headin’ for the Rhubarb: A NH Dictionary (well, kinda)." The graduate school commencement ceremony will be held Friday, May 15 at 10 a.m. in the Whittemore Center Arena at the Key Auto Group Complex.
The UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law has announced that Charles McIntyre, executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery and Gaming Commission, will deliver the keynote address at the school's commencement ceremony Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. in Concord's White Park.
Over the past 15 years, McIntyre has steadily grown the New Hampshire Lottery and Gaming Commission’s revenue from $62 million in his first year to approximately $209 million in 2025, an all-time record. Within that first year, New Hampshire went from being the slowest-growth lottery in the U.S. to being among the top five in sales and net funding growth. He also helped oversee the launch of the state’s online iLottery and the adoption of Keno. He is an outspoken advocate for preservation of regulatory policies that protect state lotteries and has testified before state boards, legislative bodies, municipalities, and the U.S. Congress.
In recognition of their achievements, commencement speakers will also be awarded honorary degrees at each of the ceremonies.
Granite State Award
Dana Hamel ’88P, ’23H
Dana Hamel, who made transformative gifts to help New Hampshire students realize their academic dreams, will be posthumously awarded a Granite State Award, for outstanding contributions and an enduring impact on the university and the state. The recognition will be celebrated at the Friday, May 15 ceremony at 10 a.m., as well as all Saturday ceremonies in the Whittemore Center Arena at the Key Auto Group Complex.
In 2008, Hamel and his family established the Dana A. Hamel Scholarships and Scholars Program to attract and retain the state’s best and brightest graduating high school seniors for study at UNH, and to recognize outstanding juniors for exceptional leadership and academic accomplishments. The program has offered renewable scholarships to more than 300 first-year students and rising juniors over the past 15 years. The scholarships and scholars gift follows two earlier Hamel family gifts to benefit UNH students — the Hamel Student Recreation Center and the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research. In 2023, Hamel gave $20 million to support a dedicated living-learning community for high-achieving students to significantly expand in-class and extracurricular opportunities for honors students and Hamel Scholars.
For more information on UNH’s commencement ceremonies and livestream links, visit the commencement website.