FLORENCE – Spring commencement ceremonies at the University of North Alabama are set for this weekend at Norton Auditorium with nearly 1,000 students participating in five ceremonies.
Cody Gross, Athens High School head football coach and former quarterback for the UNA Lions, will provide the addresses for today’s ceremonies. He quarterbacked the Lions from 1992-95, including three straight Division II national championships,
Alabama Finance Director Bill Poole will serve as the speaker for the three Saturday ceremonies.
“Commencement is an opportunity for our students to celebrate their academic achievements, knowing their UNA education has set them up for success in today’s global economy,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Our speakers are part of this special occasion, and their unique perspectives will only serve to enhance the event for our graduates and others who attend.”
Poole was appointed finance director for Alabama in August 2021. He serves as an advisor to the governor and the Legislature in all financial matters and is charged with promoting and protecting the financial interests of Alabama. Before that, he served for 11 years in the Alabama House of Representatives. Poole is a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law and lives in Tuscaloosa.
Gross ranks second in UNA history for most career touchdowns at 40. He has the career record for most rushing yards by a UNA quarterback with 1,930 yards, and he was selected first-team All-American and as Gulf South Conference Player of the Year in 1995 and was awarded the GSC Commissioner’s Trophy in 1995.
Gross is a two-time UNA graduate who is moving into his ninth year as an educator and coach at Athens High School.
