MEDIA RELEASE__Bluffton University is pleased to announce that alumni Hannah (Kehr ‘07) Heinzekehr will address the graduating class during the 2026 Commencement ceremony on May 2 in the Sommer Center.

Heinzekehr serves as senior program director for strategic communications in the Office of the President at the University of Notre Dame. In this role, she leads communications efforts, supports major events and strategic initiatives, and manages special projects in service to the President. 

With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit communication administration, Heinzekehr previously served as executive director of The Mennonite, Inc., a print and multimedia publication connected to Mennonite Church USA. She also held roles as director of communications and convention planning associate for Mennonite Church USA.

Heinzekehr earned a master’s degree in leadership and theology from Claremont School of Theology and graduated from Bluffton University with a bachelor of arts in communications and theology and a minor in peace and conflict studies.

Additionally, Heinzekehr serves as a trustee on the board of the J.A. Schowalter Foundation in Newton, Kan., and previously served on the Bluffton University Board of Trustees from 2018 to 2022.

Reflecting on her decision to accept the invitation to speak, Heinzekehr shared, “My years at Bluffton University were incredibly formative and continue to influence my career trajectory, my community and friendships, my understanding of the world, and my ethical and faith commitments. I was incredibly honored to be offered a chance to speak and to give back to a place that has given me so much. It is an incredible privilege to speak to the newest generation of Bluffton alumni at such an exciting and transformative moment in their lives, and to hopefully offer them inspiration and food for thought as they mark this transition.”

Heinzekehr and her husband, Justin, live in Goshen, Ind., with their two children, Ellie and Conrad. 

Bluffton University’s Commencement ceremony celebrates the academic achievements of its graduates and marks their transition from students to alumni, joining a global network of Bluffton graduates making a difference in their communities and professions.