Lori Arguelles - President & CEO

Lori Arguelles brings more than 15 years of experience in managing outreach and education oriented programs, as well as multi-million dollar budgets, to her current position as President and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The mission of the non-profit Foundation, 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.

Previously, Lori 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 two-million-dollars. Prior to her work with GSUSA, Lori 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 four-million-dollars. Under her direction, a comprehensive constituent outreach database was created and actively 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.

Starting her professional career as a radio reporter, Lori has worked for several local and regional outlets, as well as the NBC/Mutual radio network in Washington, DC. Her experience as anchor, reporter, and producer provides her with a unique perspective on effective media outreach. Lori also has inside knowledge of the workings of Capitol Hill, having served as press secretary for two members of congress. Lori received her Master’s degree in Public Communication from American University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Northern Arizona University.