George Suttles
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.
Guttman Community College aims to improve the quality of life of our students by providing an equitable and holistic college experience grounded in research-backed practices to address challenges that exist in traditional approaches to higher education. Guttman Community College (GCC) recognizes our Latinx and African American students – 87% of the student body – as the leaders and innovators of the future. As one of the newest CUNY institutions, the College has a proven record of graduation rates that far exceed the national average. Since Guttman’s opening in 2012, more than 1500 students have graduated. Over 1100 students have transferred to four-year colleges in CUNY and SUNY to complete baccalaureate degrees.
