YSU announces Fall 2025 Commencement speakers

Youngstown State University will hold three Commencement ceremonies Friday, Dec. 12, and Saturday, Dec. 13, in the Beeghly Physical Education Center. Alumni speakers Tim Petrey, Sean Jones and Judge Carla J. Baldwin will deliver keynote addresses alongside student speakers Ashley Perry, Cole Burnett and Nathan Johnson.

Petrey will speak during the 5:30 p.m. ceremony on Friday, Dec. 12, for the Williamson College of Business Administration and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Jones will deliver remarks at the Saturday, Dec. 13, 10 a.m. ceremony for the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education and the Cliffe College of Creative Arts. Baldwin will speak at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony for the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services.

With more than 15 years of leadership experience in public accounting, business advisory and entrepreneurial ventures, Tim Petrey serves as CEO of HD Growth Partners (formerly HD Davis CPAs). Under his direction, the firm has transformed from a traditional accounting practice into a national growth advisory platform recognized for modernizing firm culture and implementing people-centered innovation.

Petrey’s leadership has accelerated the company’s expansion from four employees to more than 90 professionals across the United States and abroad.

In addition to his work with HD Growth Partners, Petrey founded White Glove Payroll, a fully remote human capital and payroll company serving more than 800 clients across 40 states. His commitment to collaboration and employee well-being has earned his firm repeated recognition from Accounting Today, Crain’s Cleveland Business, and Best Companies Group.

Petrey has been honored among Ohio’s 15 most powerful and influential leaders, the Ohio 500, and the Forbes Top 200 CPAs. He graduated from Youngstown State University in 2009.

A celebrated trumpeter, composer and educator, Sean Jones is recognized internationally for his artistry and dedication to advancing jazz education. “I think the progression of the art form comes with people being allowed to be themselves in their rawest form with no compromise,” Jones has noted.

Born in Warren, Ohio, Jones began performing in church before switching from drums to trumpet at age 10. After receiving his master’s degree from Rutgers University, he joined the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, where he performed under the direction of Wynton Marsalis.

Jones has recorded or performed with Dianne Reeves, Nancy Wilson, Marcus Miller, Joe Lovano, Gerald Wilson and Wayne Shorter. His eight recordings have earned national acclaim.

He currently serves as artistic director of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra, Artist-in-Residence for San Francisco Performances, a member of the SFJAZZ Collective, and artistic director for Carnegie Hall’s NYO Jazz. He is also the Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair in Jazz Studies at the Peabody Conservatory.

Elected in 2017 as the first African American woman to serve as Judge of the Youngstown Municipal Court, Judge Carla J. Baldwin has established herself as a leading voice in justice reform, community engagement and restorative practice. She has served as Administrative and Presiding Judge since 2018, overseeing both misdemeanor criminal cases and specialized dockets including Drug Court and Mental Health Court.

A graduate of Capital University, Baldwin earned her juris doctorate from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley School of Law before beginning her legal career with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office. She later served as a full-time magistrate in juvenile court, where she focused on programs supporting mental health services and rehabilitation.

Judge Baldwin remains deeply involved in local and statewide organizations, including the Ohio State Bar Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Youngstown Warren Black Caucus, Open Western Reserve, and the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists.

Her leadership has earned her numerous honors, including recognition from the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, Phi Kappa Phi, and the Akron Canton Bar Association. Baldwin and her husband Brandon are proud lifelong residents of Youngstown.

Student speaker Ashley Perry will represent the Bitonte College of Health and Human Services. A dietetics major graduating summa cum laude, Perry has earned President’s List or Dean’s List honors every semester. A non-traditional student and mother, she credits her family’s support and her faith for guiding her academic journey. She will begin her master’s degree in food and nutrition at Bowling Green State University this spring.

Student speaker Cole Burnett will represent the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Burnett graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. As a member of the Sokolov Honors College, he conducted biomechanics research, participated in the BaccMed program and served on the Red Cross Club leadership team. He will attend Northeast Ohio Medical University to pursue a career in medicine.

Student speaker Nathan Johnson will represent the Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education. Johnson graduates with honors in interpersonal and organizational communication, having completed his degree in just three years. A former student-athlete and intern with YSU Athletics, Johnson plans to continue his studies in the Master of Professional Communication program with the goal of working in Division I sports information.

All Commencement ceremonies will take place in the Beeghly Physical Education Center. More information, including parking, livestream links and guest instructions, is available at YSU’s Commencement Website.