Elder S. Mark Palmer, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is scheduled to be the presiding authority and speaker during BYU's commencement exercises on Thursday, April 21, at 10 a.m.
BYU president Kevin J Worthen will conduct the exercises, which will be held in person and broadcast live on BYUtv from the Marriott Center. All college convocations will be held April 21–22. Individual colleges will communicate their respective details about convocations.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Elder Palmer was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2016. Following his call, he and his wife lived in Africa for five years, where he served in the Area Presidency and as Area President of the Africa Southeast and Africa South Areas.
Elder Palmer was named a member of the Presidency of the Seventy in August 2021. He currently assists members of the Twelve in supervising the North America Southeast, Africa Central, Africa South, and Africa West Areas.
Elder Palmer received a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1979 from the University of Auckland in New Zealand and a Master of Business Administration in 1982 from Brigham Young University.
Following graduation from BYU, he worked for Trammell Crow Company, which at the time was the largest commercial real estate development company in North America. He became a partner and a managing director with the company. In 1993, he founded SMP Ventures, an international real estate development and investment company.
Elder Palmer served as a missionary in the New Zealand Wellington Mission. Previous church service includes callings as a bishop and stake president in Austin, Texas; mission president in Spokane, Washington; interim mission president in Sydney, Australia; and Area Seventy in the North America Southeast Area. Elder Palmer was born in New Zealand on February 11, 1956. His wife, Jacqueline Ann Wood, was born in England. After her family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they emigrated to Utah when she was eight years old. Sister Palmer served a mission in Barcelona, Spain, and graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Spanish and music education.
Elder and Sister Palmer have a great love for BYU and are members of the President’s Leadership Council. They are the parents of six children (all of whom attended BYU) and grandparents of eighteen (all of whom they hope will want to attend BYU).
