Sheila C. Johnson, Co-Founder of Black Entertainment Television, to Deliver Keynote Address
at NSU Spring Commencement  

Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television and CEO of Salamander Hospitality, Inc., will deliver the keynote address at Norfolk State University's commencement ceremony, scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, May 6, at William Dick Price Stadium. The procession will begin at 9:30 a.m. 

This year nearly 500 students will participate in the commencement exercises. Johnson, along with Eva S. Hardy, senior vice president for external affairs and corporate communications at Dominion Virginia Power; and the Honorable James Holley III, Mayor of the City of Portsmouth, will receive honorary doctorates of humane letters for their contributions to the community.

Johnson has enjoyed success in many arenas. As co-founder of BET, the main provider of African-American cable television, Johnson helped build the highly-rated cable network into a media powerhouse.  In May 2005, she joined Lincoln Holdings as a partner and serves as president, managing partner and governor of the WNBA's Washington Mystics. As the CEO of Salamander Hospitality, which includes Market Salamander, a working chef's market in Middleburg, Va., and Salamander Farms in The Plains, Va., and Wellington, Fla., she is currently developing other properties including a luxurious resort and spa In Middleburg and a Market Salamander in Palm Beach, Fla.

While Johnson is committed to developing successful businesses, philanthropy is of ultimate importance to her.  As an accomplished violinist, her primary concerns are to make opportunities available for children and young adults to express their creativity through the arts and to ensure that the world is a safe place for children. She sits on several boards including Parsons The New School for Design, The Christopher Reeve Foundation, The Jamestown Yorktown Foundation, the United States Equestrian Foundation, Sorenson Institute for Political Leadership, and a host of other organizations.  Johnson's support to these organizations, universities, and arts in education for children has included gifts to Strings for Schools in Philadelphia, the United Negro College Fund, Urban Gateways in Chicago and The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.  She also established the Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center at the Hill School in Middleburg.  

As an advocate for the protection of children, Johnson has spoken around the world on behalf of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Believing that children are our future, Johnson's contribution has helped introduce tougher sanctions and legislation to protect children globally. 

Her entrepreneurial spirit runs through every aspect of her life and she is both a catalyst and a tireless supporter of the causes to which she gives herself. Of her many accomplishments, she is most proud to be the mother of two children.

For more information about NSU's commencement exercises, call 823-8373 or visit www.nsu.edu .