Service Award

Sheila King Spiezio, Nurs ’85
West Islip, N.Y.

After starting her career as a nurse in hospitals in Chicago and New York, Sheila Spiezio chose a new way to serve her community, through public health policy. “I knew the U.S. medical system needed structural improvements,” she explains. Today she works as a project manager in the department of regulatory affairs and patient safety at Stony Brook Medicine.

She previously served more than 15 years with the Citizens Budget Commission, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a mission to achieve constructive change in the finances and services of New York City and New York state. “I worked with experts across disciplines to provide the public with quality financial data, forging sensible public health policy,” Sheila says. “It was prescient then to show that privatizing public goods, such as the New York City Public Hospital System, does not guarantee lower costs or higher quality — and it certainly limits access to care.”

Sheila picked Marquette because it was not far from home, she wanted to attend a Catholic university and she was drawn to the reputation of the College of Nursing. It was all an ideal foundation for her future work. “The many philosophy and theology classes I took at Marquette provided me with tools to navigate the continuous ethical dilemmas that arise in the health care arena,” she adds.

Her Marquette experience also introduced her to her husband and to lifelong friends. “We intend to continue to make great memories,” Sheila says, “and have a ‘Golden Eagles Girls’ pact to take care of each other as we age.”

Fun Facts:

Share something interesting you're currently involved with in your community.

I am a volunteer judge for high school competitive speech tournaments. I am truly inspired by the students’ talent and foresight in developing the essential life skill of speaking well in public.

Name someone (past or present) with whom you'd like to have dinner.

Marcus Aurelius. His brilliance, decency, common sense and eloquence in Meditations astonished me. A favorite quote: “While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”