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Koivisto to Speak at Midyear Commencement
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State Senator Don Koivisto will be the featured speaker at Michigan Technological University's Midyear Commencement ceremonies, set for Saturday, Dec. 14.
Koivisto has been an advocate for Michigan Tech since he was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1980.
"Senator Koivisto has been a wonderful friend of this university," MTU President Curt Tompkins said. "He understands that Michigan Tech plays a crucial role, both in the western Upper Peninsula and throughout the state. And he has always fought hard to assure that this university has the support it needs to fulfill its educational mission on behalf of the people of Michigan."
Since Koivisto was elected senator, Michigan Tech has received $42.5 million in state capital outlay funds to support construction of the Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts and the Center for Ecosystem Sciences.
Koivisto, who could not run for re-election in November because of term limits, is stepping down from the Senate at the end of the year.
A Democrat, he was born and raised in Ironwood, graduated from Luther L. Wright High School, and earned a BS in Political Science from Central Michigan University in 1971.
A former teacher and football and basketball coach, Koivisto was a juvenile officer for Ontonagon County from 1974 to 1980 and was president of the local Board of Education in 1976.
He served as 110th District State Representative from 1980 until 1986, and was elected to the Michigan Senate in 1990, 1994 and 1998.
He is a member of a number of senate committees and subcommittees, including Appropriations, Higher Education, Capital Outlay, Agriculture, and Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, as well as Gaming and Casino Oversight.
An avid sportsman, Koivisto enjoys fishing and hunting. He lives in Ironwood, and he and his wife, Pam, have four children. |
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