Business leader and Chesapeake College graduate Robby Sheehan will deliver the address to graduates at Chesapeake College’s Commencement on Wednesday, May 24.
At just 33, Mr. Sheehan has already had a varied career building success as a business leader, a policy advisor, a pastor, and an advocate. His is a story of success through academic excellence, and an appreciation for both opportunities and mentorship.
A 2009 graduate of Chesapeake College, Mr. Sheehan was co-recipient of the John T. Harrison Award. Mr. Sheehan began his Chesapeake years as a dual enrollment student at Kent Island High School.
Mr. Sheehan was an outstanding student at Chesapeake earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average and receiving the college’s top student honor. He was a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and the All-Maryland Academic Team.
With his achievements at Chesapeake, Mr. Sheehan earned a full Board of Regents academic scholarship to the University System of Maryland.
His success continued at Salisbury University where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in applied political science. That academic success led to employment with the university. At 22, he was appointed director of government and community relations. As the university’s advocate to the federal, state, and local governments, he secured funding for key projects including: $106 million for the construction of a new academic library, $900,000 for a public radio project, $425,000 for a turf field replacement, and $300,000 for the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art
Fulfilling his dream to attend an Ivy League institution, Mr. Sheehan earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
A member of the Chesapeake College Foundation Board since 2019, Mr. Sheehan has been president of the organization since 2022. Serving on the Foundation Board, Mr. Sheehan said, is one way of giving back to the institution that he says has been foundational in his life.
“Chesapeake College, its faculty, staff, and administrators, have done more for me than I can ever imagine,” he said. “Truly, I would not be where I am today without Chesapeake. From the people who inspired me in the classroom to those who helped me identify scholarship opportunities to those who have mentored me over the years, I have benefited in so many ways from my time at Chesapeake.”
Mr. Sheehan, currently an area manager, has been employed with BBSI since 2018. He was recently tasked with overseeing a significant expansion of the company’s territory on the East Coast. In his role at BBSI, Mr. Sheehan received the CEO’s inaugural ‘Branch of the Year Award’ in 2020.
In addition to his volunteer work for Chesapeake College, Mr. Sheehan has served numerous community organizations on Delmarva. He currently serves on the executive board for the Kent Sussex Leadership Alliance.
He lives in Camden Wyoming, DE, with his wife, Erin, and their two sons.