UNA’s Winter Commencement Set for Dec. 12, 13 Armstead, Briggs to Serve as Speakers
Dec. 04, 2025
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Winter commencement at the University of North Alabama is set for Friday, Dec. 12, and Saturday, Dec. 13, in Norton Auditorium as part of five ceremonies that will feature two speakers who are also outstanding UNA alumni.
Melissa Armstead, Chief Nursing Officer at North Alabama Medical Center, will speak at the 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. ceremonies on Dec. 12. John Briggs, owner of Briggs Entertainment and an entertainment industry consultant, will provide the comments at the 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 2 p.m. ceremonies on Dec. 13.
“Commencement offers a unique opportunity to welcome our alumni to take the stage and share their thoughts, experiences, and advice with our graduates,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Hearing from these individuals about their professional lives, and how UNA provided a solid foundation, provides insights that can be invaluable to our graduates as they embark on their next steps in the journey.”
Armstead joined the leadership team at NAMC in June, having served most recently as the CNO for Southern Tennessee Regional Health System, a Lifepoint Health facility in Lawrenceburg, Tenn. Her extensive background includes leadership roles in acute care settings, where she successfully implemented innovative patient care models and improved clinical outcomes. Armstead has a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from UNA, and she has a Certificate for Professionals in Patient Safety.
Briggs has more than 40 years of experience in the music industry. As Vice President of Membership for the largest performing rights organization in the world, ASCAP, he demonstrated a wide range of creative, business, and leadership skills leading to his success in the industry. In 2010, he launched Briggs Entertainment to capitalize on the wealth of opportunities available within the digital and visual mediums. Briggs has a bachelor’s degree in Commercial Music from UNA and has been an active member of several music industry organizations and boards throughout his career, including the Academic of Country Music.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.