State Representative Craig Dally will be Northampton Community College ’s (NCC) commencement speaker at the ceremony on Thursday, May 24, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. at the Spartan Center , Main Campus, 3835 Green Pond Road , Bethlehem Township.

Dally has served as representative for Northampton County’s 138th District since 1996 sitting on many committees.

He is on the board of directors of the Nazareth YMCA, where he was president in 1995 and 1996. He is a former director of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley and was awarded the organization’s Martin D. Cohen Award. He was also honored by the organization for his work to promote youth mentoring.

Additionally, Dally serves on the boards of the Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation and the Moravian Hall Square Retirement Community. He is a former councilman for the borough of Pen Argyl and a member of the council of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Nazareth.

Dally continues a family tradition of support for higher education. His father was among a group of citizens who founded Northampton Community College in 1967 so that county residents could enjoy an affordable higher education close to home. With other members of the House Republican Caucus, Dally secured for NCC $1 million in state funds to transform the former Bethlehem Steel headquarters into NCC’s Fowler Family Southside Center, a center for education and workforce development. Known for his regional perspective, he has been a leader in bipartisan support for the project.

A graduate of Pen Argyl Area High School, Dally earned a bachelor of arts degree from Lafayette College and a law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He is a member of the bar associations of Pennsylvania and Northampton County.

"Representative Dally is an outstanding advocate for education and we are grateful for his strong support of Northampton Community College. The Lehigh Valley is fortunate to have him representing us in Harrisburg," says NCC President Arthur Scott.