Meet The Aquarium Director - October - Jon Dohlin, New York Aquarium

Name: Jon Forrest Dohlin

Actual title: Director, New York Aquarium

Name of your aquarium: New York Aquarium

URL for your facility: www.nyaquarium.org

Number of species at your facility: 630

Your favorite critter at the facility: Squirt the Octopus

Total number of animals or fish at your facility: 8,000

Number of visitors annually: 760,000

Number of employees: 120 full time plus 130 seasonal

Number of volunteers: 282

Annual budget: $14.5M Operating

Degree(s): Bachelor of Arts, Biology; Humboldt State University, Arcata CA
Master of Architecture; New School University, Parsons School of Design, New York NY

Experience prior to this position:
* 9 years as Architectural Designer and Project Manager in the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Design Department
* 2 years as WCS Project Manager for Capital Construction

Favorite part of your job: Direct involvement with Animal Management and Husbandry again

One dream wish for your facility: For every one of our guests to remember their visit as an entertaining, enjoyable and effective act of conservation.

Family: I’m married and I have three children

Pets at home: I’m sad to say it’s like the cobbler’s shoeless children: our Manhattan apartment doesn’t hold more than my geriatric cat and an aquarium in the kid’s room

When you retire, you plan to: I’d like to design and build a “green” home and dairy and produce organic artisanal chevre.