(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- The Ocean County College Foundation will host a conversation with Admiral James G. Stavridis, a distinguished retired 4-star U.S. Navy Admiral and former Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, at the Grunin Center for the Arts on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. The event will offer the community a rare opportunity to hear firsthand from one of the most accomplished military leaders and strategic thinkers of our time.

A Florida native and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Admiral Stavridis served 37 years in the Navy, leading operations across Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans, and Latin America. He was the longest-serving Combatant Commander in recent U.S. history and later served as dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Admiral Stavridis is also a prolific author, having published fifteen books on leadership, global affairs, and decision-making, including the New York Times bestseller “2034: A Novel of the Next World War.” He currently serves as Senior Military Analyst for CNN and a Bloomberg Opinion columnist.

Join the OCC Foundation at the Main Stage (Building #11A) at 6 p.m. on October 8 for this very special in-person event. Tickets are $20 and available for purchase online. A free livestream is also available; advance registration is required. 

For more information on all of the Foundation’s upcoming events, visit occfoundation.org.

The Blauvelt Speaker Series is funded in part by the generosity of the late Bradford Thomas & Eleanor G. Blauvelt and the Wintrode Family Foundation. This year’s additional sponsors for 2025-2026 include The Law Firm of Carluccio, Leone, Dimon, Doyle, Gutman & Petro, LLC, Arlene and Frank Dupignac, Jr., Leone & Daughters Realty Management Corp., Kean Ocean, The Matus Law Group, and Novins, York, Jacobus & Dooley, P.A., and Rotem Dental Care.

Since 1965, the OCC Foundation has proudly served the Ocean County College community, awarding over $22.5 million in scholarships and special program funding for deserving students.  The generosity of our donors continues to make a lasting impact, supporting initiatives like the Helping Hands Food Pantry, the Blauvelt Speaker Series, the Grunin Center for the Arts, the Global Travel Experience, the Veteran and Military Resource Center (VMRC), the Robert J. Novins Planetarium, Viking Athletics, and many more college and student-led initiatives.