256. On the Job with Vikki Spruill, President & CEO of New England Aquarium
Ali on the Run Show
Ali Feller
4.9 • 4.2K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2020
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
"I loved science. I had a biology teacher who was a bit of a mentor of mine in high school and I said, 'I really think this is what I want to pursue!' And he said, 'There's actually not a place for women in science.' But I never lost sight of my passion."
When Vikki Spruill was growing up, she loved science and, in particular, ocean life. But she was told that "women didn't have a place in science." Today, Vikki is President & CEO of the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA, so it's safe to say she found her place in science. On this episode, Vikki talks about how she got the job and what her days are like, both before and during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. To date, the aquarium has been closed for 16 weeks, and Vikki talks about the plans they're putting into place for when the doors do reopen. Plus, she talks about what it's really like running a huge cultural institution that's home to 20,000 animals, 200 employees, and more than 1.5 million visitors every year.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The On The Job Series on the Alley on the Run Show is brought to you by TrackSmith. |
| 0:04.6 | Go to TrackSmith.com slash OnTheRun and use code OnTheRun 15 for 15% off your first TrackSmith purchase. |
| 0:17.4 | Welcome to the Alley on the Run Show. I'm your host Alley Feller and this is the On The Job Series |
| 0:23.3 | where we meet people with cool, unique, interesting careers. We have just two episodes left in |
| 0:29.5 | season two and so far this season we have heard from a funeral director, a COVID-19 researcher, |
| 0:35.9 | the executive director of Northern Arizona's largest emergency shelter, the senior vice president |
| 0:41.2 | of marketing for Atlantic Records, and the owner of Fleet Feet Sports West Hartford. |
| 0:47.0 | Now, we're here to talk about fish, penguins, turtles, and sharks because my guest today is |
| 0:52.6 | Vicki Sprule, president and CEO of the New England Aquarium in Boston. What a dream job. |
| 0:59.6 | She liked so many of us, wanted to be a marine biologist when she was younger, but get this. |
| 1:05.1 | Vicki was told that women didn't have a place in science. Seriously? Needless to say, she showed them. |
| 1:13.8 | This conversation is also extra special to me and I'm sure to many of you listening because I |
| 1:18.4 | grew up going to this aquarium. I have such fond memories of standing in front of that big, |
| 1:23.1 | great ocean tank absolutely memorized. So it was a real treat getting to talk to Vicki, who by the |
| 1:29.5 | way is a runner and a marathoner. Getting to talk to her about what it's really like being in |
| 1:34.5 | charge of the whole place. Speaking of the whole place, can we just reserve it and have a big Alley |
| 1:40.4 | on the run show party at the aquarium when things open back up? Let's do that. I'm actually |
| 1:46.1 | completely serious about making this happen. The wheels are turning. In the meantime, keep being safe, |
| 1:51.3 | keep wearing your masks, keep being awesome, and please join me in welcoming New England Aquarium, |
| 1:56.2 | president and CEO Vicki Sprule to the Alley on the run show. |
| 2:08.9 | Vicki, this is such a dream come true for me. I grew up going to the New England Aquarium. |
| 2:14.4 | I have so many of my fondest memories of staring and looking at that giant tank that we all know |
... |
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