April 24, 2017
Consumers Energy deputy general counsel, SVSU alum, to address SVSU May graduates
The vice president of a Michigan energy company will deliver the keynote address to graduates during Commencement exercises next month at Saginaw Valley State University.
Shaun M. Johnson, an SVSU alumnus who is the deputy general counsel for CMS Energy and its principal subsidiary Consumers Energy, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, and again at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 6, in O’Neill Arena.
Commencement exercises for graduates in the colleges of Business & Management and Health & Human Services will be held Friday evening. Students completing degrees in the colleges of Arts & Behavioral Sciences; Education; and Science, Engineering & Technology will take part in the ceremony scheduled for Saturday morning.
The graduating class consists of 1,146 students who are expected to complete degrees, including 1,022 individuals who have indicated they intend to don regalia and march in the ceremonies. The class includes 987 who will receive bachelor’s degrees and 159 who will receive master’s or education specialist degrees.
As is tradition, SVSU President Don Bachand will congratulate each graduate as he or she crosses the stage.
Johnson’s path to his position with CMS Energy began at SVSU, where he served as president of SVSU’s student government and was a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. Representing and advocating for his fellow students was an interest of Johnson’s since his teenage years, when he was the president of the student government at Sanford-Meridian High School for three years. With a goal of getting students more involved on SVSU’s campus, Johnson was the Campus Events chair for Student Association, the student government, before ascending to president.
An Edenville native, Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from SVSU in 2002 and then completed a law degree at Michigan State University, graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors. Johnson served on the SVSU Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2005 to 2008.
Johnson formerly was a partner for the law firm Dykema Gossett PLLC, serving as the director of the firm’s energy industry group and specializing in public utilities, energy, and taxation. In his director position, he served as an attorney and lobbyist for several public utility and energy clients throughout the United States, helping develop cost-effective business strategies and goals. Johnson also represented elected public officials, political action committees, and constitutional ballot question committees.
In his position with CMS Energy, Johnson oversees all litigation, general practice, and federal energy regulatory issues. He also provides legal oversight for business development activities, including mergers and acquisitions. A Dewitt resident, Johnson also serves as the chair of the Michigan Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section.
For information about Commencement exercises at SVSU, visit www.svsu.edu/commencement/.