Distinguished Speaker diving into topic

Arguelles heads marine foundation

 

The next guest in Trine University’s Distinguished Speaker Series will help listeners see what the sea does for all of us.

Lori Arguelles, president and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, will present “The Big Blue (Ocean) and What It Does for You” on Monday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. in Fabiani Theatre.

Arguelles brings more than 15 years of experience in managing outreach and education oriented programs, as well as multi-million dollar budgets, to her job with the foundation. The non-profit foundation’s mission is to augment the outreach and education efforts of the U.S. government’s network of underwater treasures—the National Marine Sanctuary System. She has extensive experience in public relations, government relations, and executive management.

She previously served as director of communications for Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), where she managed a major corporate re-branding effort, and oversaw the media, audio-visual, Internet, and internal communications for the 500-person organization. She managed a staff of 15 people, planning and executing an annual operations budget of more than $2 million.

Prior to her work with GSUSA, Arguelles served as director of public and constituent affairs for the U.S. Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. During her five-year tenure, she managed a staff of 35 people, planning and executing an annual operations budget of more than $4 million. Under her direction, a comprehensive constituent outreach database was created and utilized. Several major outreach and education campaigns were also created under her leadership, including the Year of the Coral Reef and Year of the Ocean efforts.

Arguelles began her career as a radio reporter, working for several local and regional outlets as well as the NBC/Mutual radio network in Washington, D.C. Her experience as anchor, reporter, and producer provides her with a unique perspective on media outreach. She also possesses inside knowledge of the workings of Capitol Hill through her work as press secretary for two members of Congress. She earned a master’s degree in public communication from American University and a bachelor of arts from Northern Arizona University.

She will discuss her work with the National Marine Sanctuary System and wrap up by taking questions from listeners in the one-hour presentation. The event is free and open to the public.