After graduating from Brown in 1974, and being admitted to the Michigan bar in 1978, Spivey served as in-house counsel for General Motors Corp., Union Texas Petroleum Holdings Inc., and AlliedSignal Inc. Spivey also practiced with the Washington, D.C., firm Sutherland, Asbill & Brennan LLP. Spivey serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the E.J. Grassman Trust. Spivey has held many leadership roles at Brown, including as a vice chair for Boldly Brown: The Campaign for Academic Enrichment. Spivey served on the Board of Trustees from 1998 to 2004. She will serve as a term trustee through June 30, 2013.