Vincent and Laymon to serve as 2023 JSU commencement speakers

JSU Public Relations

Anton Vincent, President of Mars Wrigley, North America will serve as the keynote speaker for its graduate commencement ceremony on Friday, April 28 at 9 a.m. in the Lee. E. Williams Athletic and Assembly Center. Vincent leads more than 7,000 Mars Associates across the region responsible for producing some of the world’s most beloved treats and snacks including iconic brands such as M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, SKITTLES®, ORBIT® and EXTRA®.

“We are honored to have Anton Vincent address our graduates at the apex of their academic journey, sending them into the world with words of inspiration and encouragement,” said Acting President Elayne H. Anthony, Ph.D. “A native Jacksonian, we are extremely proud that Mr. Vincent has become one of the country’s most influential Black business leaders. I believe he will be an excellent motivator as our graduates begin the next chapter in their lives.”

“I am incredibly humbled and proud to be back in my hometown representing Mars, Incorporated at the same university where my parents, Dr. George and Pearl Vincent both taught as professors for 25 years,” said Vincent. “Historically Black Colleges and Universities like JSU are critical to paving the way for a more diverse and equitable future. I am privileged to help celebrate the excellence of the Graduate class of 2023.”

Since joining Mars in 2019, Vincent has successfully led the acceleration of value creation of one of the world’s largest, most iconic consumer brand portfolios. He leads the cross-segment Regional Presidents Council (RPC) and is the principal Mars leadership voice for industry and regulatory matters in the U.S.

Prior to joining Mars, Vincent was the CEO of Greencore, PLC, USA, a leading co-pack and co-manufacturing company. He spent 20 years at General Mills building award-winning brands and leading three divisions to record financial performance. He helped execute the $10B acquisition of the Pillsbury Company and served on the board of 301 Inc., General Mills’ earlystage venture fund.

Award-winning novelist and MacArthur Fellow Kiese Laymon will serve as the undergraduate commencement speaker on Saturday, April 29, at 9 a.m. at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

“We are honored to have Jackson’s native son Kiese Laymon return home and impart impactful words of wisdom on our graduates, propelling them forward as they influence and shape our world for the better,” said Acting President Elayne H. Anthony. “Mr. Laymon and his work reflect the creativity and brilliance we see and nurture in our graduates, so we certainly look forward to his address.”

Laymon is a Black southern writer and acclaimed author from the city of Jackson. His work illustrates Black life within the Southern states and the violence and oppression undergirding those experiences. In his observant, often hilarious work, Laymon battles the personal and the political: race and family, body and shame, poverty and place. His savage humor and clear-eyed perceptiveness have earned him comparisons to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Walker, and Mark Twain. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, the groundbreaking essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and