April 25, 2019

William Lyons III to be speaker at Elms’ 88th commencement exercises

REGIONAL
Staff report

William Lyons III will be the commencement speaker at the Elms College graduation ceremony on May 18. (IObserve photo/courtesy of Elms College)

CHICOPEE – The College of Our Lady of the Elms will hold its 88^th commencement exercises on Saturday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at the MassMutual Center in Springfield.

The commencement speaker, healthcare entrepreneur and philanthropist William Lyons III, will deliver an inspirational address for the Class of 2019 and receive an honorary degree.

Lyons and his brothers founded Blackstone Medical Inc. in 1996, and built it into a true Pioneer Valley success story; the company was even named a “model business” by the Romney administration for creating local jobs in the high-tech arena.

By the time Blackstone Medical was acquired by Orthofix International in 2006, it was the world’s largest privately held spinal implant company, and had introduced more than 20 instrument and implant systems throughout the U.S. and in over 30 countries.

Lyons majored in in mechanical and materials engineering at the University of Connecticut and earned his master of science in biomechanical engineering from the Hartford Graduate Center, in affiliation with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A highly trained engineer, Lyons used his degrees to perfect product development as well as manufacturing processes, and earned several U.S. patents.

Prior to forming Blackstone Medical Inc., Lyons served as chairman, president, and CEO of Brimfield Precision Inc., a medical device contract manufacturing business. During his manufacturing career, he became a founding partner in an orthopedic development company that later merged into the Orthopedic Products Group of Johnson & Johnson. He also was a founding member of the board of directors of Exactech Inc., a public company specializing in orthopedic products. Locally, he was a founder of Mechtech of Western Massachusetts, a nonprofit machining apprenticeship training company.

Lyons continues to serve as a consultant to the medical device manufacturing industry and as an investor in medical device startup companies.

As philanthropists, Lyons and his wife, Cynthia, who is the chair of the board of trustees at Elms, are focused on supporting local educational projects, medical research and cancer care projects, and programs that benefit military families. They have donated to many important causes in the Pioneer Valley area, including the Town of Wilbraham tornado relief fund, Mercy Medical Center’s Sister Caritas Cancer Center, and Elms College.

Other 2019 honorary degree recipients will be Savina Martin, co-chair of the Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign, and Kathryn Buckley-Brawner, executive director of the Catholic Charities Agency in the Diocese of Springfield, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the world.

As a national activist on homelessness and issues affecting women who has spoken around the country on systemic racism and poverty issues, Martin has challenged politicians and policy makers to build sustainable low-income housing and support for urban areas. A veteran and a woman of color, today she works among homeless women veterans in Boston. Martin holds a bachelor of applied science in human services and a master’s degree in nonprofit management and leadership from Springfield College.

Buckley-Brawner has worked with Catholic Charities since 2004, and has been at the forefront of the local agency’s effort to provide services and assistance to the victims of the 2011 tornado, Tropical Storm Irene, and other events. As a Refugee Reception and Placement Agency subcontracted through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the agency has helped to resettle dozens of refugees into western Massachusetts. Buckley-Brawner holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science and government from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a master of arts in applied theology from Elms College.