Cathy Judd-Stein ’78, President of SJA Board of Trustees, is SJA Commencement Speaker
St. Johnsbury Academy’s speaker at the school’s 179th Commencement on Monday, June 6th, 2022, will be Cathy Judd-Stein, ’78, President of the SJA Board of Trustees. She has been a trustee since 2018. Cathy Judd-Stein grew up in St. Johnsbury Center. Upon graduating from SJA, she earned a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth and a Doctor of Law degree from Harvard Law School.
Currently, Cathy serves as the Chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, having worked in the Governor’s Legal Office as part of five successive Massachusetts gubernatorial administrations.
Immediately prior to her current role, she served as Deputy Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Charlie Baker, General Counsel for the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver, Assistant Executive Director and Special Counsel for the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, and Executive Director of Governor Deval Patrick’s Judicial Nominating Commission. She was a Lecturer on Ethics and Public Policy at the UMass Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies from 2007-2015.
In addition to her trustee duties at St. Johnsbury Academy, she is a member of the Women’s Health Advisory Board for the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. In 2020, she completed her six-year term as a member of the National Board of Directors for GLAAD, a dynamic media force for the LGBTQ community.
She is former President of the Class Officers Association at Dartmouth College, former Class President for Dartmouth College Class of 1982, former Chair of the Board of Directors of Boston’s Associated Day Care Services (now “Nurtury”), and former Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Winchester (MA) Foundation of Educational Excellence.
In her spare time, Cathy and her family enjoy the outdoors and take advantage of skiing, hiking, and biking the many wonderful trails in Vermont.
When asked what it means to be the commencement speaker, she replied, “I am honored to carry on tradition and represent the Academy’s Board of Trustees as this year’s commencement speaker, but, most of all, I am thrilled to witness the launching of this special class of 2022 as they accept their diplomas and inspire us as dedicated community members and global citizens.”
“We are so fortunate that our new Board President will speak at our 179th Commencement this year. Cathy is without a doubt one of our most accomplished alumni; she is also compassionate, kind, and exceptionally modest. In other words, she is a powerful example of how to live out the Academy’s values—and I can’t wait for our graduating seniors to hear from her,” said Headmaster Dr. Sharon Howell.
St. Johnsbury Academy’s Commencement Exercises will be held on June 6 at 10:00 AM on Fairbanks Field. The event will be streamed live on www.nsnsports.net.
