MARITIME AQUARIUM CEO, JENNIFER HERRING,
WILL SPEAK MAY 12TH

Jennifer Herring, President & CEO, The Maritime Aquarium at will address the Y's Men of Westport/Weston May 12th. Her talk is entitled “The Maritime Aquarium-Building Connections.” In it she will focus on the diverse roles the Aquarium plays in the lives of its constituents and its communities.

For 25 years, Jennifer Herring has combined her love of nature, wildlife and the arts with personal and administrative skills for the benefit of major nonprofit organizations. She was initially attracted to The Maritime Aquarium because it offers the opportunity “to share my passion for nature, to teach new generations about its wonders and to inspire people to help save the wild creatures of the marine realm.”

The Maritime Aquarium is a beloved institution, attracting 525,000 visitors a year, making it the second-largest family attraction in the State. The Aquarium offers visitors and schoolchildren an intimate, authentic experience with living creatures, especially life under the waters of Long Island Sound. Its informal science education program, the largest in the State, offers 150,000 students a year opportunities for exciting hands-on learning geared to the Connecticut science standards. It serves as the anchor for one of the most successful urban redevelopment programs in the region and generates $42 million in economic impact for the State of Connecticut.

From 1994 until 2003 Herring served in senior management positions at the Wildlife Conservation Society, formerly the New York Zoological Society. WCS operates the New York Aquarium, the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and Queens Zoo. She was Vice President of Public Affairs and Development until 1999 when she was named Senior Vice President for Development and Membership.

Jennifer Herring's parents – both schoolteachers – introduced her to music and nature as a child in her native California. The family made frequent trips to the Pacific coast and the Sierras, where her love of nature was fostered. Living on Long Island Sound as an adult in the 1970's gave her an equal appreciation for this area's marshes, marine and bird life, as well as for the challenges facing this critical and fragile environment.

Immediately prior to joining the Aquarium, Herring served as a private consultant on strategic leadership and fundraising to educational, cultural and arts institutions. Before her years with the Wildlife Conservation Society, she spent 10 years at the New York Public Library (1984-1994) as Deputy Director of The Campaign for the Library and finally as Vice President for Development. During five years with the New York City Opera (1979-1984), she served in a number of capacities culminating with Director of Corporate Gifts. Early in her career she was an opera company administrator, a music teacher and an opera singer. Today, she is often called upon to address business and nonprofit groups on philanthropy and fundraising issues.