Darlington School is pleased to announce that math teacher Al Shorey will be the keynote speaker at the Baccalaureate Service on May 18, and Chip Bell, author, acclaimed speaker, and consultant in customer loyalty and service innovation, will give the Commencement address.
Shorey was selected by the graduating class as the Baccalaureate speaker. He has taught math at the Upper School since 2013 and also coaches girls' soccer. A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Shorey holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the United States Military Academy, an M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri at Rolla and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Stephanie, are the parents of Charlie ('16) and Alan ('18).
Bell, known for his work in mapping the customer journey as part of the customer service experience and customer forensics, was named one of the “World’s Top 30 Customer Service Professionals” for 2014-2017. Prior to the late-1970s launch of his consulting firm, Chip Bell Group, he was vice president and director of management and organizational development for NCNB, which forms the core of today's Bank of America. Bell is a customer-loyalty columnist for Entrepreneur Magazine, CEO Magazine, MoneyInc and other publications. He has also authored or co-authored over 22 books, of which nine have been described as national and international best-sellers. As a consultant and speaker, Bell has worked with Ritz-Carlton, General Electric, Cadillac, Microsoft, State Farm, Harley-Davidson and other Fortune 100 companies. He has also appeared in interviews on several news networks, including ABC, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business and NPR.
The Baccalaureate Service will be held Friday, May 18, at 7 p.m. in Morris Chapel. Commencement will begin Saturday, May 19, at 9:30 a.m. on the Chapel Lawn. In the event of rain, Commencement will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Huffman Athletic Center. Darlington will stream both events live online.
