Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood, will be the Yale School of Public Health’s 2014 commencement speaker.
Dean of the School of Public Health Paul Cleary, announced the decision this week, describing Richards as “a recognized leader and advocate for women’s health and reproductive rights.”
Planned Parenthood consists of both the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health services to women, and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, a lobbying wing that advocates for pro-choice legislation and evidence-based sex education.
Richards, who previously served as deputy Chief of Staff to current House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, was named one of Time’s “100 Most Influential People” in 2012. She is the daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards.