Dr. Lisa (DiSalvo) Spiller received her Bachelor of Science in business administration with a major in marketing from Gannon University in 1982 and then received her Master of Business Administration at Gannon in 1984. She began a career in academia in 1984 as Instructor of Marketing at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). Upon completing her doctoral coursework at UMKC, Spiller served as Assistant Professor of Marketing at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri, while she completed her doctoral dissertation. She received her Ph.D. from UMKC in 1990, and accepted an Assistant Professor of Marketing position at Christopher Newport University (CNU) in Newport News, Virginia in 1991. Spiller just began her 27th year of teaching at CNU. She was recently promoted from Professor of Marketing to Distinguished Professor of Marketing, a prestigious designation that only a few professors at CNU have ever achieved.
Spiller has earned numerous awards of distinction. In addition to teaching, she is a well-published author on various marketing-related topics. She is co-author of the widely acclaimed textbook, Direct, Digital, and Data-Driven Marketing, the fourth edition of the book formerly titled Contemporary Direct and Interactive Marketing. This textbook has been used by colleges and universities in 34 states across the nation and in six countries worldwide. Spiller is also co-author of Branding the Candidate: Marketing Strategies to Win Your Vote, and her research has been published in many academic journals and textbooks.
Born and raised in Erie, her parents instilled the unique value of a Catholic education. Continuing in that tradition, Spiller sent her children to Catholic schools in Newport News. She has spent 11 years serving on three separate Catholic School Boards. In addition to board service, she has been invited and has delivered numerous presentations to various audiences. Spiller has also conducted market research studies, served on the search committee for a new president of the high school and several strategic planning committees over the years. She is active with the Catholic Campus Ministry at Christopher Newport University and has served on the search committee for the new Catholic Campus Minister. Finally, Spiller was the recipient of Gannon University’s College of Engineering and Business Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017.
Lisa and her husband, Dr. James Spiller ’82, a physician specializing in internal medicine, recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They have been blessed with three children and two grandchildren.
(published 2017)