Meet The Aquarium Director - November - Thom Stork, Florida Aquarium

Name: Thom Stork

Actual title: President/CEO

Name of your zoo or aquarium: The Florida Aquarium

URL for your facility: flaquarium.org

Number of species at your facility: 1251

Your favorite critter at the facility: There is a wood-stork in the Wetlands gallery that I have some strange attachment to.

Total number of animals or fish at your facility: 15531

Number of visitors annually: 675,000

Number of employees: 126 full-time, 53 part-time

Number of volunteers: 203

Annual budget: $14.5 mm

Degree(s): BA in Journalism from THE University of North Carolina.

Experience prior to this position: 29 year career in Marketing with Busch Entertainment Corp. (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld Florida)

Favorite part of your job: Being a business mentor to a young, dedicated staff who are always hungry for knowledge.

One dream wish for your facility: That every child in the Tampa Bay Area gets to see the beautiful world of marine life through our wonderful aquarium.

Family: Dear wife and best friend Donna, son Christopher, daughter Ericka, and the love of my life, grandson Tajai.

Pets at home: We have “continuous-loop” HD aquariums on the 60’ plasma screen.

When you retire, you plan to: I retired once … it wasn’t fun. I plan to be here a while, having fun and making an impact.