Guttman Community College is honored to announce the Keynote Address at the College’s Ninth Commencement Ceremony on June 17 will feature George Suttles, the Executive Director of the Commonfund Institute.
George Suttles leads Commonfund’s educational, market research, and professional development activities as Executive Director of Commonfund Institute. He also serves as a member of the Commonfund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office. Prior to joining Commonfund, Mr. Suttles was a Program Officer at the John A. Hartford Foundation, an independent, national private foundation focused on improving care for older adults. Before joining the foundation, he was a Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Relationship Manager at U.S. Trust/Bank of America. In this role he worked with private and institutional clients on issues related to best practices in strategic grantmaking. Throughout his career, Mr. Suttles has supported the philanthropic activities of leading nonprofits with a focus on healthcare, education, and related social justice missions. He is also a member of numerous nonprofit boards, including The Laundromat Project, Drive Change, and the New York Foundation. Currently, he is on the Adjunct Faculty at the New York University (NYU) School of Professional Studies. Mr. Suttles received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy (IUPUI) and an M.P.A. from Baruch CUNY School of Public Affairs. George Suttles is a proud New York City native.
Guttman’s Ninth Commencement will take place on Friday, June 17th at 9:00 am. For the first time in the College’s history, the event will be held in historic Bryant Park. This year’s ceremony also marks the return of an in-person celebration for our students, after two years of remote learning through the pandemic. Commencement is a pivotal moment in the lives of students. The Class of 2022 has persevered through the many challenges of the last two years, and the College is proud to have the culminating event of their Guttman journey be a grand celebration featuring a Keynote Speaker focused on equity and education.
Stella and Charles Guttman Community College is CUNY’s first new community college in more than forty years. Reimagining what community college could be, Guttman opened its doors in Manhattan in August 2012 to create a research-based, innovative model focused on moving students efficiently toward graduation. Offering associate degree programs in a nurturing environment, the College provides holistic support and advising to ensure timely degree completion, and most graduates transfer to senior colleges. Guttman is federally designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and minority-serving institution with more than 90% of the student population identifying as Latine, Black/African American or Asian. Guttman was named the best community college in America in 2020 and the top community college in New York State in 2020 and 2021 by Niche.com, and WalletHub ranked Guttman the #1 community college in New York State for 2025.
