Cathy Ackermann, who heads her own Knoxville public relations firm, will be the guest speaker at Pellissippi State's graduation May 8, when more than 700 students will receive associate's degrees.

The ceremony will take place at Thompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus, beginning at 2 p.m.

Ackermann is president and chief executive officer of Ackermann PR, which also has offices in Dallas, Nashville and Washington, D.C. The company was formed in 1982 and has been named one of the Fastest Growing Companies in America by Inc. magazine.

Ackermann was named Today's Business Owner of the Year at the 2003 Women Today Expo, a regional event that takes place each year in Knoxville. She is a member of the Pellissippi State Foundation Board of Trustees.