In an email to the college this week, President Hellie announced this year’s speaker for the class of 2015’s commencement ceremony held in the Oak Grove on May 31.

Gale Castillo, a 1973 graduate from Linfield, will deliver the commencement address.

Castillo is a highly accomplished alumna who serves on the college’s board of trustees as well as many other boards including the Portland Trail Blazers Business Advisory Board.

She is one of the founders of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, which works with all members of the community to increase the economic advancement of the Latino community.

Castillo is a co-owner of Cascade Centers Inc., which provides Employee Assistant Program services as well as staff development services in the United States.

She has worked in both the private and public sector in companies such as AT&T, Pacific Northwest Bell and RESTOR Communications.

Castillo has received the Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement for the Minority Enterprise Development Week by the Business Development Institute, a civic award from the Center for Women’s Leadership and has been recognized as a 2012 Newsmaker by the Daily Journal of Commerce among many other awards.

She has been a part of America’s Conversation about Women and Leadership as well as the National Hispana Leadership Institute.

Castillo is a first generation college graduate, graduating from Linfield in 1973 before getting her master’s degree from Portland State University.

She has also completed the executive education program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Jonathan Williams can be reached at [email protected]