Vikki N. Spruill P'12
Vikki N. Spruill P'12 joins the 2010 President's Forum Series at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.
On Thursday, Feb. 25, Vikki N. Spruill P'12, president and CEO of the Ocean Conservancy, will join the President's Forum Series with a lecture at 7:30 p.m. in the Geneva Room in the Warren Hunting Smith Library.
On Dec. 1, 2006, Spruill began serving as president and CEO of the Ocean Conservancy, becoming just the fifth person, and the only woman, ever to hold that title.
Prior to her appointment at the Ocean Conservancy, she was president and founder of SeaWeb, a non-profit organization that uses strategic communications techniques to advance ocean conservation. Spruill led a team there that in eleven years designed and executed countless important and innovative programs to promote ocean conservation and improve ocean governance.
Prior to SeaWeb, Spruill spent 15 years in public relations, including five years as a senior vice president at Ruder Finn, one of the largest independently held public relations firms in the world, where she was responsible for client management and new business development. Spruill is a member of the board of directors for Sky Truth and sits on the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Steering Committee. She is currently a director of COMPASS, the Communications Partnership for Science and the Sea. Spruill serves on the Advisory Committee for the Ocean Hall of the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum and the Conservation Committee of the SeaChange Investment Fund. She is also a newly appointed member of the Pew Fellows Advisory Committee.
Most recently, Spruill founded FoundationWorks, a nonprofit organization working with foundations to enhance effectiveness for foundations and grantees.
Spruill graduated cum laude from Loyola University in New Orleans with a Bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in religious studies. She received her Master's degree from the University of West Florida; also in communications.
The President's Forum Series, established in the winter of 2000 by President Mark D.Gearan, is designed to bring a variety of speakers to campus to share their knowledge and ideas with students, faculty, staff of the Colleges, as well as with interested community members. Many speakers draw audience members from the surrounding cities of Rochester, Syracuse and Ithaca.
Forum guests generally take the opportunity to visit classes or gather with students and faculty members to discuss issues. Many people have one-on-one interaction with the speakers for the exchange of ideas or thoughts.
This information is accurate for the time period that this person(s) spoke at Hobart and William Smith.