Achieving excellence early on as valedictorian of her eighth-grade class, Vivian M. Cline attended an attorney assistance program through the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). After graduating from high school and college, she held a number of minor jobs, including as a paralegal for the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in North Hollywood, California, from 1976 to 1978, before serving as general counsel for Raymond Schuller, which is where Ms. Cline’s true interest in legal work began. Raymond Schuller was a good mentor and planted a seed in her. After receiving a certificate from the program at UCLA, she relocated from Los Angeles and got a position at Smith International in Newport Beach, California, in its legal department in 1978, later deciding to attend law school.
Briefly leaving Smith International, Ms. Cline served as an associate for Tuohey & Prasse in Santa Ana, California, from 1983 to 1985 before returning to the company and serving its Houston branch as senior corporate counsel from 1985 to 2005, of general counsel in the business unit from 2005 to 2006 and of senior assistant general counsel of contracts from 2006 to 2010. Today, she serves the Montgomery County Women’s Center in The Woodlands, Texas, since 2010. Ms. Cline is most proud of her association with Smith International, where she was able to acquire many companies and travel around the world. Some of her favorite destinations have been Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Scotland, as well as Louisiana.
Prior to the start of her professional career, Ms. Cline pursued a formal education at California State University, Northridge, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1974. She then matriculated at Southwestern University in Los Angeles, where she edited the school’s Law Review and attained a JD in 1983. In addition to Raymond Schuller, Ms. Cline also attributes much of her success to Neil Sutton and Richard Werner.
Active in her local community, Ms. Cline served as a business consultant for Junior Achievement in Houston from 1992 to 1994 and from 1997 to 1999. Additionally, she is a deacon and elder of the Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church, as well as a substitute pianist and organist. Outside of her primary trade, Ms. Cline served the Executive Women’s Network as secretary in 1993, 1996 and 2000, president in 1994, director of programs in 1995 and treasurer from 1998 to 2001. Likewise, she served the Houston chapter of the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals as secretary from 1995 to 1996, treasurer from 1996 to 1997, vice president and program director from 1997 to 1998, and president from 1998 to 1999.
Currently, Ms. Cline resides in Texas and is the proud mother of one wonderful daughter, Alicia C. Notably, she was selected for inclusion in the 17th edition of Who’s Who in the World, the 25th edition of Who’s Who in the South and Southwest, the 30th edition of Who’s Who In Finance and Industry, and several editions of Who’s Who in Finance and Business, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law.
