Wheeling Alumnus, Gerald Schroer, Jr., to Address the Class of 2026 at Commencement

April 30, 2026

Wheeling Alumnus, Gerald Schroer, Jr., to Address the Class of 2026 at Commencement

WHEELING, W.Va., April 30 - Alumnus Gerald Schroer, Jr., Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Schroer Group, will address the Wheeling University class of 2026 during Commencement on Saturday, May 9.

"Wheeling University is proud to have Mr. Schroer serve as our commencement speaker," said Dianna M. Vargo, Ed.D., president. "As an alumnus and a successful businessman, I know he will share with our graduates an inspiring message about values that he learned during his time at Wheeling University."

Additionally, the University will present Schroer with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during the ceremony.

Schroer serves as CEO of The Schroer Group, which is based in North Canton, Ohio. As the CEO since 2015, he leads a family of healthcare and service companies with vision and sustained growth. Schroer has used his 30 years of experience to help advance innovative care models across long-term care, pharmacy, rehabilitation, home health, and hospice-impacting the lives of patients and families across the communities his organizations serve.

A proud graduate of the University's class of 1986, Schroer began his career as a licensed nursing home administrator and built his leadership journey through roles including President of Absolute Health Services and other executive positions within The Schroer Group family of companies.

"It is an honor to serve as the Commencement speaker at Wheeling. I look forward to addressing the class of 2026, and I hope to offer some 'life lessons' to the graduates that may help them in the next chapter of their lives."

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Schroer lives a life of service and community leadership, traits that he learned while a student at Wheeling. He remains passionate about giving back to the communities that shaped him.

Schroer is a past member of the University's Board of Directors and the Alumni Council. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Catholic Charities Foundation Board of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, and as Vice Chair of the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Development Foundation Board. He is also a past President of the Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA), where he has been a longstanding advocate for quality care and leadership development.

Schroer's contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the OHCA Pioneer & Lifetime Achievement Award (2025), the St. Augustine Award for Distinguished Service from Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital Development Foundation, and Saint Ignatius Alumnus of the Year.

He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Health Administration from Wheeling and went onto earn a master's degree in Hospital and Health Administration from Xavier University. Wheeling University leaders will present doctoral, masters and bachelor's degrees to nearly 200 graduates during its 68^th Commencement. This year's ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 9, inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center.