Lynn Fitch, Mississippi’s first female attorney general, will deliver the address for the University of Mississippi‘s MBA Commencement ceremony, set for 9:30 a.m. May 12 at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Fitch, a Holly Springs native, graduated from the university in 1984, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and a Juris Doctor. At 23, she began her legal career serving as a special assistant attorney general in the Mississippi Attorney General’s office.

Her legal career spans more than three decades, in which she held a variety of influential positions in both public and private practice. Before being elected attorney general, Fitch was elected Mississippi state treasurer in 2011, a position she held until 2020.

During her time as treasurer, she gained national influence as vice president for the National Association of State Treasurers and as chair of the State Financial Officers Foundation.

Gov. Haley Barbour chose Fitch to serve as executive director at the Mississippi State Personnel Board in 2009, and she served as deputy executive director at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and as counsel for the Mississippi House of Representatives Ways and Means and Local and Private Legislation committees.

Her speech will focus on the importance of leadership.

“As a two-time graduate of Ole Miss, it is always a privilege to return to Oxford,” Fitch said. “The leadership skills I learned at this great institution carried me throughout every step of my career, all the way to being elected the first female attorney general of Mississippi.

“It is a distinct honor to be invited to speak at the 2023 Commencement ceremony and share with these impressive graduates the power they hold as leaders who will launch Mississippi to its best future.”

In recognition of her work and leadership, Fitch has received numerous accolades. In 2012, she was selected as both Outstanding Woman Lawyer and a Woman Trailblazer by the Mississippi Bar Association.

In 2022, Time magazine named Fitch to its list of the 100 most influential people in the world and Worth Magazine named her to its Worthy 100 for her work protecting women and children. Most recently, she was recognized for the third year as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Most Influential.

“We are excited to have Attorney General Lynn Fitch speak to our graduating MBA class,” said Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business Administration. “She has been incredibly successful in service to the state of Mississippi as both treasurer and now attorney general.

“We are proud to have her as one of our business school graduates and appreciate her dedicated service and leadership. I know the MBA class will be honored to hear her remarks and insight, and it is particularly appropriate that she is speaking to the MBA class with the first-ever all-female leadership team.”