Experts and Spokespeople

Jeffrey Flocken leads the Aquarium of the Pacific in its ongoing quest to be a trailblazer in species conservation and animal welfare.

Dr. Lance Adams’ areas of expertise include veterinary care in the zoo and aquarium industry and rehabilitation of various animals, including rescued endangered sea turtles.

Alicia Archer is the education programs manager at the Aquarium of the Pacific and oversees school, teacher, family, and youth programs.

Alex Bohardt is an aquatic sustainability manager focusing on the Aquarium’s tropical Pacific species, including coral reef species and habitats.

Johnathan Casey is the curator of fish and invertebrates who manages the Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon and the Southern California Gallery.

Cassandra Davis is the volunteer services director at the Aquarium of the Pacific. She works directly with volunteers, scientists, and communities to connect them with ocean science.

Jennie Dean is serving as the Aquarium’s inaugural vice president of education and conservation. In this role she will amplify and enhance the Aquarium’s work in species conservation and learning for all audiences.

Cristina Hernández is a youth volunteer coordinator who works directly with teens to enhance communication and work skills through ocean conservation and as a spokesperson for news interviews, including in Spanish.

Aaron Hovis is the Aquarium’s manager of quarantine and acquisition, with particular expertise in Southern California fish and invertebrates.

Johanna Hultberg is the conservation manager at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Nate Jaros is the Aquarium’s vice president of animal care and leads a team of aquarists who care for all of the fish and invertebrate animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Abigail Kucher is an assistant curator of mammals and birds at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Alie LeBeau is the director of the Aquarium’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Pathway Initiatives, which is a program that seeks to achieve the vision of “STEM for All.”

Sara Lesser is an education supervisor who manages the Aquarium’s virtual education programming, including virtual field trips and the Online Academy (free online classes).

Brett Long is the vice president of animal care at the Aquarium of the Pacific, responsible for the staff who provides care and husbandry of the animals.

Erin Lundy is the manager of conservation initiatives at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Rachel Munson is the aquarist in charge of Shark Lagoon at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Dawn Nygren-Burkert is the conservation volunteer coordinator at the Aquarium of the Pacific, where she focuses on connecting people with conservation efforts to drive positive environmental change.

Marilyn Padilla regularly serves as a spokesperson on Aquarium programs and animals for Spanish-language media outlets, including on international, national, and local programs.

Fahria Qader is the director of architecture and is responsible for project management of numerous exhibits, construction, and sustainability projects at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Megan Smylie is the Aquarium of the Pacific’s sea otter program manager, overseeing both the sea otter habitat and the Aquarium’s partnership in Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Surrogacy Program.

Amanda Stovall is an education interpretation coordinator at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Alyssa Tillman serves as assistant curator at the Aquarium of the Pacific, overseeing the care and management of tropical fishes and invertebrates.

Josh Wagner is a senior aquarist who specializes in sea jelly culture and care.

Staci Wong is the interpretation manager at the Aquarium of the Pacific. She manages guest experiences at the Aquarium that are facilitated by the education department, including volunteers.

Emily Yam’s key areas of expertise include climate resilience, oceanography, marine science, and data-driven interpretation.