Duke Energy CEO to Address Grads

Duke Energy CEO James E. Rogers will deliver NC State’s commencement address on Saturday, May 14, at the RBC Center in Raleigh. The commencement ceremony will begin at 9 a.m.

Rogers has more than 20 years of experience as a CEO in the electric utility industry. He was named president and CEO of Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power companies in the United States, following the merger of Duke Energy and Cinergy in April 2006. Before the merger, Rogers served as Cinergy’s chairman and CEO for more than 11 years. Prior to the formation of Cinergy, he served PSI Energy as the company’s chairman, president and CEO.

In the course of his career, Rogers has served more than 50 cumulative years on the boards of Fortune 500 companies. He has served in leadership capacities for many organizations and energy councils. Rogers has been honored with numerous awards and was named to Newsweek’s “Global Elite” list of “The 50 Most Powerful People in the World” in 2009.

During the ceremony, Chancellor Randy Woodson will confer honorary degrees on Rogers and Robert Weiss, the artistic director and CEO of Carolina Ballet.

Weiss has led Carolina Ballet since its launch in 1997. He has created 44 works for the organization, including Romeo and Juliet, Messiah, Stravinsky’s Clowns, The Kreutzer Sonata, Swan Lake, Cinderella and Firebird, which was performed by Washington Ballet at the Kennedy Center. Weiss began his career as a professional dancer at age 17, when he joined the New York City Ballet at the request of George Balanchine, the company’s co-founder and founding choreographer. He remained with the company for 17 years, rising to the rank of principal dancer. There he performed principal roles in more than 40 ballets.