Commencement Speaker Announced For Baldwin Wallace

BEREA, OH —Rick Chiricosta, the CEO, president and chairman of Medical Mutual of Ohio, will serve as the Fall Commencement speaker for Baldwin Wallace University on Dec. 9, the university announced Tuesday. Approximately 243 undergraduates and 112 graduate students will take part in the commencement ceremonies.

The commencement ceremonies will be held in the Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center. The events will kick-off at 2 p.m.

Chiricosta, an Avon Lake resident, is a member of the Northeast Ohio Business Hall of Fame. His induction recognized his leadership of Medical Mutual, a company he has been with for more than three decades.

He was appointed CEO in January 2009. Prior to becoming the chief executive, Chiricosta was president of the Life Group for Consumers Life Insurance Company, overseeing Medical Mutual's re-entry into life insurance.

Chiricosta has a long history with Northeast Ohio and its educational institutions. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo and his master of business administration degree from Bowling Green State University. He's also an executive committee board member for the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation and is a member of the Cuyahoga County Early Childhood Education Partnership Council.

Outside of the business world, Chiricosta is chairman of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and serves on the boards of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Kidney Foundation of Ohio. He's also an executive committee board member of the United Way of Greater Cleveland.

Oh, and he has served as the lead singer of a cover band. Cleveland Magazine did a 2016 profile of the Medical Mutual of Ohio leader, detailing his love for rock music (specifically Guess Who frontman Burton Cummings) and his propensity for covering staples of the rock and roll scene.

Photo from Baldwin Wallace University