Lyndon Institute is proud to announce the Commencement Speaker and Faith Leader for the graduating class of 2021. 

Commencement Speaker - Joseph F. Army
Since 1998, Joe Army has been creating venture capital-backed medical technology startups that treat a variety of patient conditions, from reducing infections in burn victims to reducing bleeding during cancer surgery to becoming the go-to respiratory technology to keep COVID-19 Patients off mechanical ventilators during the pandemic.  The common denominator of all these companies has been Great People + Total Customer Focus + Great Technology = Success.  Today Joe is CEO of Vapotherm, a publicly held (NYSE:VAPO) advanced respiratory technology company based in Exeter, New Hampshire.

From 1999 until its acquisition by Medtronic in 2011, Joe served as CEO (2007 – 2011) and CFO (1999 – 2006) of Salient Surgical Technologies. Joe got his start in medtech as Vice President of Finance and Operations for Westaim Biomedical from 1998 to 1999.  From 1991 to 1997, Joe was a consultant with Coopers & Lybrand Consulting, where he specialized in revitalizing financially distressed companies and initiating growth for companies around the world in a wide variety of industries.

Before business school, Joe worked on Wall Street for Dean Witter Reynolds where he met his lovely wife of 32 years, Kim.  Joe earned an MBA in finance and marketing from The Wharton School of Business, a BA in history from the University of Rhode Island, and graduated from Lyndon Institute in 1981. He is certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), a CPA (inactive status), a Certified Turnaround Professional, and a Certified Insolvency and Reorganization Accountant (inactive status). Joe is also a licensed charter boat captain and licensed private pilot.

Born in Massachusetts, Joe moved to Sutton VT at the age of 5.  Joe and Kim raised two children, Matt and Mikaela, and live on the New Hampshire seacoast. In his free time, Joe enjoys fishing, hunting, skiing, and gardening. During his time at Lyndon Institute, Joe enjoyed playing on the football team and pole vaulting as a member of the track and field team.

Joe is honored to give the commencement speech to the class of 2021 and is looking forward to his visit home to the Northeast Kingdom.

Faith Leader - Rev. Bruce S. Comiskey
The Rev. Bruce S. Comiskey was born in Montclair, NJ in 1951. In high school, he earned letters in four sports and excelled in football. He went on to attend Rutgers University on an athletic scholarship, majored in religion, and earned a BA. He was accepted at Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a Master of Divinity and Master of Social Work. His field education was at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. After graduating in 1976, he accepted the position of Associate Minister at the First Church of Christ (UCC) in Simsbury, CT. Three years later, he accepted the position of Settled Pastor at the First Congregational Church in Lyndonville, VT. While pastor of the church, he coached football at LI and taught Interpersonal Communications at Lyndon State College. He accepted the position of Senior Minister in 1987 at the Stowe Community Church in VT. He retired briefly in 2017 but accepted the position back in Lyndonville in 2018 to serve the East Burke Congregational Church and the First Congregational Church in Lyndonville. He currently is President of Rotary and serves on the Darling Inn Meal Site Board as Vice President. He resides in East Burke.

Lyndon Institute will hold their commencement ceremonies on June 6 at 10 a.m. on the Robert K. Lewis Field in a limited capacity following the Vermont Forward Plan.