Mary Thurston is responsible for providing operational, administrative, and project management support to the Office of the President, inclusive of our President, Operations and Strategy Director. Prior to joining SPA as an Administrative Assistant in 2020, Thurston worked as Executive Assistant for two luxury hotels in South Florida, focused on corporate social responsibility initiatives, and otherwise has a varied professional history with roles such as Legislative Intern, Human Rights Intern, and English as a Second Language teacher. Thurston was awarded a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Florida State University and has certifications in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard Business School, Fundraising and Development from University of California, Davis, and Giving 2.0: The MOOC from Stanford University.  In addition to her work with SPA, Thurston works as volunteer staff for PEAK Grantmaking, a member-led community of philanthropy professionals dedicated to advancing equitable, effective grantmaking practices.