Aquarium Welcomes New CFO/COO and New Vice President of Education and Conservation

August 30, 2022

August 30, 2022, Long Beach, CA— The Aquarium of the Pacific is welcoming two new additions to its leadership team. Troy Grande joins the Aquarium as chief operating officer and chief financial officer, and Jennie Dean is the Aquarium’s new vice president of education and conservation. “Jennie and Troy will help the Aquarium chart its next leap forward,” says Dr. Peter Kareiva, Aquarium of the Pacific president and CEO. “In today’s uncertain world there is no room for resting on laurels. These additions to our executive team will ensure that the Aquarium continues to be a leader in STEM education that welcomes all, while also helping to restore California marine wildlife and providing a global tourist destination that is a gem all of California can be proud of.”

The Aquarium has created the new position of vice president of education and conservation to focus on the Aquarium’s work in species conservation and learning for all audiences. Dean is serving as the Aquarium’s inaugural vice president in this role. Dean previously was a program director at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, where she oversaw programs engaging the private sector on corporate sustainability and another that consulted with island governments on sustainable development of their blue economy.

Dean has also worked in the field of marine conservation policy through federal government roles at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Navy and at nonprofit organizations, including the Pew Charitable Trusts, Global Ocean Commission, and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Through these, she had the opportunity to engage in a wide range of ocean topics, including marine spatial planning, sea turtle conservation, ocean observing systems, ridge to reef management, high seas governance, and marine debris. Dean studied environmental management, earning a master’s degree from Duke University and bachelor’s from Princeton University.

Grande comes to the Aquarium with extensive experience from operational and financial leadership positions in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations across many different industries. Previously Grande served as chief financial officer of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, Roessler-Chadwick Foundation, HRG Management, and The Palisades Group. He has also worked as a portfolio manager at Seneca Capital Management, where he was one of the founders of a publicly traded residential mortgage real estate investment trust. Before that Grande held staff and line positions at Fremont General Corporation, where he served as assistant treasurer and director of investments.

Grande holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Southern Methodist University and a master of business administration degree from the University of San Francisco. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute and the Los Angeles Society of Securities Analysts.