Admiral Robert Ravitz (retired) will be our speaker in March. His presentation will be assessment of The U.S Navy Today.
Rear Admiral Ravitz is a 30 year veteran in the Naval Reserve. First assigned on active duty to the Naval Amphibious Force, at retirement, he was Director of the Naval Reserve Public Affairs program.Recognition of his excellence is in the name of the Navy’s highest Public Affairs Award, the Thompson-Ravitz Award.
In 2009, the Admiral was co-chairman with Jets owner Woody Johnson, of the USS New York Commissioning Committee. The ship, which has steel from the fallen World Trade Towers forged in her bow, is in New York this week. Funds raised helped to “bring the ship to life” in the Navy’s commissioning ceremony, it also provided supplemental educational funds for the ship’s crew for the life of the ship
In his communications career he served as an Executive Vice President of Grey Advertising and a Senior Vice President of McCann Erickson Advertising. He also was a Vice President of ad agencies in Chicago including Tatham-Laird and Kudner and Stern Walters and Simmons. During his career he managed advertising accounts for Proctor and Gamble, Wal-Mart, A&P, Coca Cola, Raytheon, Sears Roebuck and numerous others. In 1996 he formed a consulting practice working with agencies soliciting federal contracts. Since that time he has managed over 25 RFP presentations. He has also served a number of corporations working with the military.
Ravitz is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Reserve courses at the Army War College and the National War College. He currently serves as a Trustee of the Naval War College Board of Trustees. He has twice received the Secretary of the Navy’s Superior Public Service Award and the Navy League’s Distinguished Service award. He also served on the Advisory Council to the Dean of the School of Communications of Northwestern University, the Service Policy Advisory Council to the U. S. Trade Representative and on the Community Advisor Board of WNET Public Television in New York.
He is married and lives in Naples Florida. He has two grown married sons and two granddaughters.
He serves as National Vice President of the Navy League and on the Foundation Board of the Naval War College.