The Honorable Kaohly Her, mayor of Saint Paul, will give the keynote address at Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK’s 2026 Commencement. The ceremony is Saturday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m. at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.
Elected in 2025, Mayor Her is the city’s first woman and first Asian American mayor. She was born in Laos and came to the United States as a refugee at the age of three. She earned her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MBA from Northeastern University. She is a doctoral candidate at the University of St. Thomas.
Before becoming mayor, she was a finance professional, non-profit executive, stay-at-home mom, school board administrator and state representative.
"Mayor Her's work in the public sector illustrates her commitment to the community and her vision for a resilient, prosperous city," says Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK President Mayme Hostetter. "We are honored to have Mayor Her as our keynote commencement speaker."
The ceremony will be livestreamed and archived. The livestream link will be available on the Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK Commencement page.