Series namesake returns May 14 to deliver Shoemaker address
Technology executive and series namesake John Shoemaker ‘64 will return to Hanover College’s campus this spring as the featured guest for the 2026 edition of the Shoemaker Speaker Series. Established in 2022, the series was developed to present on-campus conversations with prominent voices on business, leadership and innovation.
An emeritus member of Hanover’s board of trustees, Shoemaker has more than four decades of experience in high technology, including executive management roles at Sun Microsystems and Xerox Corporation. He is currently the board chair at Extreme Networks and has also served as a board member for numerous companies such as Altera Inc., SonicWall Inc., Astute Technologies, Inc., and Conformative Systems, Inc.
Shoemaker will speak on Hanover’s campus at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 14, in the Science Center. John Riddick, professor and executive director of Hanover’s business program, will serve as host for the conversation. Admission is open to the public, free of charge. A pre-event cocktail reception will be held from 6:30-7 p.m.
The Shoemaker Speaker Series – part of the Hanover Business Department’s entrepreneurial network – is possible through the generosity of Shoemaker and his wife, Donna.
In addition to the series, the Shoemakers recently launched a scholarship program to support off-campus travel and educational opportunities for Hanover’s business students. The John C. and Donna Shoemaker Global Scholars Program for Business Majors was created to provide financial resources to underwrite student expenses associated with off-campus business courses, including airfare, lodging, local transportation, program-related excursions, meals and travel insurance. To be eligible, students must be a business major or minor and meet additional financial, academic and campus leadership requirements.
Along with the Shoemaker Speaker Series and the Global Scholars Program, the Shoemakers are also the namesakes of an on-campus, student-run, cabin-style eatery and entertainment venue. The Shoebox, built in 2004, is reminiscent of the Campus Cabin, a legendary hangout spot on Hanover’s campus from 1933-77.
