Mike Pellicciotti ’00, treasurer for the state of Washington, will deliver the keynote address for Alfred University’s 2026 Commencement on Saturday, May 16. Commencement ceremonies begin at 10 a.m. in the Galanis Family Arena, McLane Center.
Mike Pellicciotti ’00, treasurer for the state of Washington, will deliver the keynote address at Alfred University’s 2026 Commencement ceremony, set for May 16.
Pellicciotti graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration (minor in economics) from Alfred University in 2000. He was named a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Canada, earning a master’s degree in rural development from Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, in 2003. He earned his Juris Doctor from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA, in 2004.
“Alfred University is a special place filled with remarkable people,” said Pellicciotti, who served as president of the Student Senate and was a recipient of the university’s Outstanding Senior Award. “My time there shaped who I am, and I’m honored to return to celebrate this year’s graduates and their families.”
Pellicciotti was elected Washington’s 24th state treasurer in 2020, becoming the first challenger to defeat an incumbent treasurer in the state’s history. As Washington’s chief financial officer, he is dedicated to financial transparency, protecting Washington’s financial health, and leading policies that best serve the state’s working families and retirees.
As treasurer, Pellicciotti has worked with the Washington State Legislature to strengthen budget reserves, manage debt costs, and increase pension funding. As a direct result, Washington has maintained outstanding credit ratings, including the highest “Aaa” rating from Moody’s. Leveraging the state’s strong financial reputation, Pellicciotti has refinanced existing debt to save Washington over a half-billion dollars since 2021. He has also increased investment returns for state and local governments, bringing billions of new dollars to Washington communities.
Pellicciotti has led the passage of new laws that make state financial operations more modern and efficient. He has also offered bipartisan legislative proposals consistent with his belief that all Washingtonians should have economic opportunity at birth, the tools to thrive financially throughout life, and a path to security in retirement. Specifically, Pellicciotti has expanded financial education access in Washington, and has requested legislation to require financial education in the state’s schools.
He is particularly focused on promoting policies that support economic development in Washington’s rural regions and other communities that have been historically denied access to capital. In these pursuits, Pellicciotti has held hundreds of stakeholder meetings and town halls throughout all the state’s 39 counties.
Before being elected State Treasurer, Pellicciotti was an assistant attorney general and served two terms in the Washington House of Representatives. While representing the 30th Legislative District of South King and North Pierce counties, he led efforts to increase penalties for corporate crime, to get “dark money” out of politics, and to increase government transparency.
At commencement, Alfred University will present honorary degrees to Pellicciotti and Alfred alumna Carolyn Clark ’90, chair emerita and current member of the university’s Board of Trustees. Both will receive Doctor of Human Letters, honoris causa, honorary degrees.
Clark was elected board chair in 2022, becoming the first woman chair in University history, and led the board until July 2025. A member of the Board of Trustees since 2011, Clark served as vice chair for five years before being elected chair.
She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Alfred University and also has an MBA from Seton Hall University. She enjoyed a successful career in the field of medical communications, co-founding a medical communications company, Peloton Advantage, LLC, in 2005 and serving as chair of OPEN Health Communications before retiring in 2021.
Carolyn Clark ’90, chair emerita of the Alfred University Board of Trustees, is shown here at the May 2024 groundbreaking ceremony for the Saxon Hill Sports Complex. Clark will receive an honorary degree at the 2026 Commencement ceremony in May.
Under Clark’s board leadership, Alfred University launched a $200 million capital campaign, the largest in the university’s history. During her tenure as chair, the board also approved construction of the Saxon Hill Sports Complex, a $30 million sports and recreation facility atop Jericho Hill in the town of Alfred set for completion this spring. While at Alfred, Clark was a standout on the Saxons’ women’s soccer team. She was elected to the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.
