Mary Thurston is responsible for providing strategic operational and project management support on behalf of the Office of the President, acting as direct liaison to the Advisory Board and External Science Advisors. Before joining SPA in 2020, Thurston held a variety of roles within the non-profit sector with a particular focus on access to education, human rights, and legislative interest areas, as well as environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Thurston was awarded a bachelor’s degree in international affairs with an economics focus from Florida State University and has certifications in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School, Fundraising and Development from the University of California, Davis, and Giving 2.0: The MOOC from Stanford University. In addition to her work with SPA, Thurston volunteers as co-chair for PEAK Grantmaking’s NorCal chapter, a member-led community of philanthropy professionals dedicated to advancing equitable, effective grantmaking practices, and is part of their 2024 Learning to LEAD Cohort.