Southwestern University Welcomes Christopher Plumlee ’89 to Deliver 2026 Commencement Address
The Founder and President of Elevate Strategy Group, Christopher Plumlee ’89 will share remarks at the Class of 2026 Commencement Convocation Ceremony on Saturday, May 16.
Southwestern University alumnus Christopher Plumlee ’89 will return to Georgetown this spring to deliver the University’s 2026 Commencement address. Plumlee is the Founder and President of Elevate Strategy Group, where he helps organizations unlock their full potential. Plumlee was nominated for the honor by SU’s Student Commencement Speaker Committee then unanimously approved by University Senior Staff.
After graduating from Southwestern with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Plumlee built a 25-year career leading high-performing teams at some of the world’s most respected companies.
Following three years at Bank of America shortly after graduating from Southwestern, Plumlee joined the Eastman Kodak Company, where he quickly rose in the ranks from Sales Consultant to District Sales Manager. Plumlee was named the Vice President of Corporate Sales at Staples in 1997, where he played an instrumental role in assisting the company close major deals with JCPenney and Baylor Scott & White Healthcare.
In the early 2000s, Plumlee served as Vice President of Sales for IKON Office Solutions, where he led a team of highly accomplished sales professionals and closed several multi-million dollar contracts. Following five successful years at IKON, Plumlee was named the National Sales Manager for Dell Technologies’ Imaging and Printing Group. In that role, he helped Dell secure deals with a variety of Fortune 1000 companies, including Boeing, Cingular Wireless, and Wells Fargo.
Throughout his career, Plumlee has also served as Vice President of Document Solutions at Pitney Bowes and as a Director at Hewlett-Packard, where he worked to close deals with Best Buy, Continental Airlines, Edward Jones, and Paramount Pictures.
With two and a half decades of experience under his belt, Plumlee founded Elevate Strategy Group in 2013. Today, he leads a team of experienced leaders and business professionals who work with businesses large and small to elevate their sales and personnel performance. With a client roster that includes Fortune 500 powerhouses like Boeing, Coca-Cola, and Nokia, Plumlee specializes in optimizing leadership, enhancing communication, and strengthening team dynamics.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Plumlee has given his time to a number of philanthropic endeavors. He has served as Chief Executive Officer for Catholic Charities of Fort Worth and as a member of the advisory committee for Sky Ranch, one of North America’s leading Christian camping organizations. Plumlee is a Founding Principal of the African American Executive Networking Forum, and he serves as a board member for One Man’s Treasure, a non-profit that empowers men recently released from prison by providing clothing and networking opportunities.
During his time at Southwestern, Plumlee starred as a member of the Pirates’ men’s basketball team. As a co-captain during his senior year in 1989, he helped lead the team to a first-place finish in their district. Plumlee was named an All-American Honorable Mention and was voted by his teammates as the squad’s Most Valuable Player. He was inducted into the Southwestern University Hall of Honor after earning 1989 NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors. Off the court, Plumlee was involved in the leadership of Ebony, serving as the Black student organization’s President during his junior year and as a Senior Advisor prior to graduation.
Plumlee has been happily married to Natalie Minter Plumlee for over 27 years. They have one amazing son, Hamilton, who is a sophomore at Hampton University.
Southwestern University’s 2026 Commencement Convocation ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 16 at 9:00 a.m. on the Roy H. Cullen Academic Mall on campus.
Southwestern University published this content on March 11, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 11, 2026 at 19:56 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]
