2023 Heroes of Hospitality: Jeff Killeen

(1953-2022)

Jeff was an energetic and visionary leader who loved Lake George deeply and focused his many talents on the long-term protection of the lake.

He was the founding CEO of Forbes.com, Barnesandnoble.com. and Pacific Bell Interactive Media. He was Chairman and CEO of GlobalSpec, a leading provider of digital content to the engineering design community.

Jeff was honored by both Crain’s and Folio magazines as a “Top CEO” and “Most Visionary CEO,” and GlobalSpec was recognized as a “Best Place to Work” in the Capital Region.

Jeff was the fifth generation of his family to reside in the home built by his great-great-uncle, L.W. Killeen, at Diamond Point. He combined his interest in technology, his love for Lake George and his leadership skills to develop a 21st-century approach to protecting the lake.

Together with two other Lake George residents — Dr. Shirley Jackson of RPI and her longtime Lake George researchers, and Dr. John E. Kelly of IBM and his team of data scientists from IBM — Jeff helped bring the Jefferson Project to life.

He served as chairman of The Fund for Lake George and played a pivotal role in helping The Fund and the Lake George Association join forces.