Bernard Marcus is co-founder of The Home Depot, Inc., the world’s largest home improvement retailer. His company revolutionized the home improvement business with its warehouse concept. He served as chairman of the board until his retirement in 2002. He remains director emeritus and Home Depot’s largest single stockholder.

From 1972 to 1978, Marcus was Chairman of the Board and President of Handy Dan Improvement Centers, Inc., a home center retail chain. Prior to Handy Dan, Marcus was President of O’Dell’s, a manufacturing conglomerate, and Vice President of Hard Goods Merchandising for Vornado, Inc., a retail chain.

Marcus’s personal civic involvement has been translated into the creation of The Marcus Foundation where he serves as chairman of the board. His areas of focus include Jewish causes, children, medical research, free enterprise and the community.

A centerpiece of his desire to give back to the community is the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. This $290 million dollar attraction is dedicated to the people of Georgia and the associates, customers and shareholders of The Home Depot. With more than eight million gallons of water and the largest collection of aquatic animals, it is the largest aquarium in the world.

In 1991, he and his wife Billi established The Marcus Institute, which provides programs for children and adolescents with disorders of the brain. An additional commitment in 1998 led to a national expansion when The Marcus Institute joined forces with the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.

Among his important philanthropies is the founding of the Israel Democracy Institute located in Jerusalem. This non-partisan and non-political think tank serves as an important resource and change agent, dealing with the complex issues facing Israeli democratic society. Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz serves as Honorary Chairman.

Marcus serves in numerous leadership roles including The Shepherd Spinal Center, The City of Hope, The Marcus Jewish Community Center, and Business Executives for National Security.

A native of Newark, New Jersey, Marcus received his B.S. degree in Pharmacy from Rutgers University.

As President and Chief Operating Officer of the world’s largest aquarium, David Kimmel is responsible for overseeing all operations within the building. Kimmel has played an integral role in the Aquarium’s history having joined benefactor Bernie Marcus’ team three years before the facility opened in 2005, leading the corporation that designed, created, built and staffed it.

With more than 34 years of significant experience in providing comprehensive program management, Kimmel has worked with both public and private sectors providing services for many diverse institutions. His seasoned work with varied organizations and departments provides him with a broad-based understanding of large-scale public facilities. His past experience ranges from pre-design project management through engineering problem resolution, to full-range program management responsibilities.

Prior to being appointed President & COO in 2010, Kimmel served as VP, Director of Program Management for Heery International, a full-service architecture, interior design, engineering, construction management and program management firm. Under Kimmel’s leadership, Heery was the Aquarium project management company retained to develop the specifications and contracts for all firms associated with the project and to oversee all phases of construction. During this time, Kimmel also oversaw Heery’s Sales and Marketing team with a gross revenue of more than $8.5 million. Kimmel and Heery were engaged again in 2007 to be the Program Manager/Owner’s Representative for the Georgia Aquarium’s new dolphin expansion, which opened in April 2011.

Kimmel holds a Bachelor of Science Civil Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with graduate course work in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina. He and his wife, Lorraine, have one daughter.

Matthew Hodgdon, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for all financial and fiscal management aspects of Georgia Aquarium operations. His areas of concentration include accounting and treasury operations, budget, information technology and security. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Hodgdon obtained an MBA at Indiana University. He began his career with Price Waterhouse in Washington, D.C. where he worked on the audit staff and obtained his CPA. Hodgdon then ventured to New York City where he worked for the Penn Central Corporation as Senior Accountant-Management Information and Manager of Corporate Reporting. Following his stint with Penn Central, he took a position with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as Controller. He spent 12 years with Colonial Williamsburg as Controller of the Foundation and Colonial Williamsburg Hotel Properties, Inc.

Hodgdon joined the Sea Island Company in 1996 as Vice President-Chief Financial Officer,Treasurer and Secretary. In 1997, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, responsible for accounting and treasury operations, budget and planning, retail operations, information technology, risk management, purchasing, membership and publishing. He was a member of the Management, Finance, Compensation, and Planning and Development Committees of the Sea Island Company Board of Directors, Director and Officer of Sea Island Services, Inc., Director of the Sea Island Credit Union and a Trustee of Sea Island Foundation, Inc.

Hodgdon joined the Georgia Aquarium team in 2009.

Currently, Hodgdon is a member of Financial Executives International and the AICPA. He has also served as Chairman of Coastal Community Retirement Corporation (Marsh’s Edge), a member of the Board of Directors of the Brunswick and Glynn County Development Authority and a member of the Joint Finance Committee of St. Simons Presbyterian Church. Hodgdon and his wife, Teresa, live in Atlanta, and they have two children, Ryan and Kari.

Dr. Gregory Bossart has spent the last 30 years working in clinical domestic, marine mammal and avian medicine and wildlife pathology on a national and international basis. He has over 135 peer-reviewed scientific publications focused primarily on the pathologic basis of disease in wild animals.

His undergraduate degrees in biology and physical geography are from the University of Pittsburgh. He received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a comparative pathology resident and National Institutes of Health fellow in the Department of Pathology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. In 1995, he completed his Ph.D. in immunology at Florida International University.

He has been in private veterinary practice and is a clinical veterinary consultant at facilities in the US, Latin America and Asia. Presently, he is Senior Vice President and Chief Veterinary Officer at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgi,a where he oversees the animal care, research and conservation programs. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Research Professor at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University and on the graduate faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina.

His recent published research has documented re-surging and emerging diseases in manatees, whales, dolphins, and birds. He has helped characterize the first viral disease in manatees and was responsible for developing the first immunohistochemical technique for diagnosing brevetoxicosis (red tide poisoning) in marine mammals and birds. He is particularly interested in the application of aquatic species as sentinels for the effects of global climate change, ecosystem and human health.

Dr. Bossart was awarded the Dean’s Clinical Research Award for his work at the University of Miami School of Medicine and the Alumni Award of Merit from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He has had collaborative research projects with the National Marine Fisheries Service, National Ocean Service, Florida Wildlife Research Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Office of Naval Research. Examples of his research can be found in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Veterinary Pathology, Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, Veterinary Record, Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, Toxicologic Pathology, Marine Mammal Science, Experimental and Molecular Pathology, Aquatic Mammals, Florida Scientist, Journal of Raptor Research, Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, Oceanography, Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Environmental Science & Technology, Journal of Parasitology, Aquatic Toxicology, Veterinary Microbiology and Nature.

Carey Rountree, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, is responsible for the development, implementation and management of all sales, marketing, communications, advertising, membership and development strategies and programs for the Georgia Aquarium. He also serves as head of the Idea Team for Aquarium sales and marketing and is responsible for the coordination of all promotional events, retail partnerships and the development and implementation of the Group Sales Program. In addition, Rountree manages the marketing and sales of and serves as key liasion to the Wolfgang Puck Catering and Restaurant Associates teams. He carries out these responsibilities with 33 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Rountree’s start in the hospitality industry began in 1974 as a sales manager with the Marriott Corporation where his innovative thinking and desire to improve quickly moved him through the ranks. In 1983, he became regional director of sales and marketing and increased southeastern revenue from $80 million to $285 million. In 1988, he became the resident manager at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest and improved guest satisfaction scores 15 percent in only one year.

In 1989, he joined the Stormont-Trice Corporation, an Atlanta-based hotel development and management company, as vice president of sales and marketing. Using his experience from the Marriott Corporation, Rountree tripled the number of hotels in the company’s portfolio and increased the sales and marketing department from six to 45 employees.

In 1992, Rountree went to work with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB) as executive vice president of sales and marketing until 2002 and executive vice president until 2005. While at the ACVB, Rountree created new and innovative ways to increase tourism and convention traffic in the metro Atlanta area. Rountree helped business development by the ACVB grow from $2 million in 2002 to $6 million in 2004.

In 2005, Rountree joined Hi-Tech Rental and Staging as vice president of business development. He helped the 180-year-old company move from a third party supplier of audio and visual equipment to a customer-direct rental service. Before moving to the Georgia Aquarium in 2007, he hired a director of sales and a vice president of sales to implement the initiatives he set in motion.

Taking his commitment to the profession beyond the workplace, Rountree has served on the board of directors for many professional and international marketing and exhibition associations and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events. He is an active member of the Professional Convention Management Association, the American Society of Association Executives, Meeting Professionals International and the Georgia State University Marketing Roundtable.

He is involved in many community organizations including the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Helping Hands division of Hands-On-Atlanta and the Atlanta Kiwanis Club. He has been a guest lecturer on the subjects of marketing, hospitality and exhibition management at schools such as Georgia State University, Emory University and the University of Georgia.

Rountree graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in political science in 1974. He and his wife, Janet, have four children and three grandchildren.

As Senior Vice President & Chief Zoological Officer, Billy Hurley leads all husbandry operations at Georgia Aquarium and is responsible for the entire husbandry sector of the Dolphin Expansion project at the Aquarium.

Hurley holds a bachelor's degree in Marine Environmental Biology from Auburn University. He went on to become the General Manager of Dolphin Quest, located in Hawaii, before being promoted to Director of Husbandry and Training.

Billy Hurley joined Georgia Aquarium from Marineland’s Dolphin Conservation Center, where he served as General Manager and Vice President of Animal Management. Hurley has acted as a consultant for several months on Georgia Aquarium’s Dolphin Expansion.

Hurley is heavily involved with the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association (IMATA) as the former President. Hurley is the current Director at Large and Accreditation Commission Chair for the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquarium (AMMPA). Hurley has released several posters, papers and presentations, which focus primarily on mammal care and training.

As the Vice President of Information Technology, Beach M. Clark, Jr. oversees multiple aspects of the Georgia Aquarium’s technological operations. His position encompasses point of sale, ticketing, telecommunications and overall management of the Aquarium’s Web site.

Clark is an Atlanta native, having graduated from North Springs High School before earning his Bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

After working for several years in the hospitality industry as a manager of hotel and restaurant properties, Clark returned to Georgia State University to earn his Master’s degree in accounting. Upon completing his degree, Clark took a position with Andersen Consulting where he began his career in information technology.

Clark worked with clients in a number of industries including healthcare, telecommunications, technology, finance and manufacturing. He has also specialized in the implementation of advanced technology solutions.

The Home Depot recruited Clark in 1991 to design and implement their network architecture. Over the next 12 years at The Home Depot, Clark managed a number of functions in networking, application development and technical support.

Since joining the team at Georgia Aquarium in July 2004, Clark has enjoyed the opportunity to work with multiple organizations and his extended responsibility over several areas within information technology, including the Georgia Aquarium’s web site and databases.

Clark lives in East Cobb, a suburb of Atlanta, with his three sons Beach III (Trip), Tyler and Hagen.

As Vice President of Development and Membership, Kristie Cobb Hacke is responsible for fundraising through sponsors, donors and Annual Pass sales, as well as the development, implementation and supervision of all fundraising activities. In addition, she is responsible for maintaining existing donor relationships, managing the stewardship and communication program, activating sponsorships and developing a formal long-range fundraising strategy.

Hacke received a bachelor’s degree in history and art history from Agnes Scott College in 1998 and an MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2005. Prior to joining the Aquarium, Hacke worked for The High Museum of Art as the Patron Services Coordinator, overseeing the coordination of benefits programs for all donor-level members. Her responsibilities also included the planning and coordination of major donor events with attendance ranging from 30 to 2,500, the management for annual telemarketing campaigns and the maintenance of intimate knowledge of more than 700 individual giving profiles for donor giving.

Hacke served as Database Manager for Zoo Atlanta, where she supervised data entry and all user training and collateral user material for The Raiser’s Edge, a database used for tracking fundraising. She managed a database of 160,000 constituent records and 32 users in The Raiser’s Edge.

As Membership Manager and Database Administrator for the Florida Aquarium, Hacke was responsible for all aspects of the membership program. This included member communications such as donor newsletters, annual reports and collateral materials. At the Florida Aquarium, Cobb increased total household membership by 70 percent in less than three years and achieved $910,000 in membership revenue for fiscal year 2004.

Hacke joined the Georgia Aquarium as Director of Membership and Annual Reports. In this role, Hacke created and implemented a fundraising strategy for the Aquarium including the creation and presentation of three annual events, budget development, committee and volunteer management, solicitation of sponsors and auction donors. As a part of the development for the Aquarium’s Web site, Cobb sold nearly 300,000 Annual Passes almost entirely through Web site sales in her first year. She has generated more than $1.5 million in revenue through philanthropic membership programs and developed and launched an Annual Pass sales program for sponsors.

As Vice President of Guest Experience at the Georgia Aquarium, Joe Handy is responsible for the guest experience at the world's largest aquarium. Handy oversees the guest services and guest interaction departments, which include all programs, activities, the 4D Theater and special exhibits. He is also responsible for the Aquarium’s education department, overseeing the development of educational programming for students and teachers. Handy also oversees the Audio/Visual, Exhibits and Graphics, Training and Volunteers, Maintenance and Environmental Operations departments. Handy also acts as a liaison for all third party vendors.

Handy was born and raised in New York. He graduated with honors from The College of New Rochelle in New York with a Liberal Arts degree concentrated in political science. While in New York, Handy worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for nine years and assisted in opening the Rose Center for Earth and Space.

In 2005, Handy moved to Atlanta to serve as the Georgia Aquarium’s Director of Visitor Services. In late 2006, Handy was promoted to Vice President, Visitor Services and Guest Programs and later named Vice President, Guest Experience.

Handy is also an active member in his community. In New York, he served as an appointed representative to a Community Board in Manhattan. In 2004, he was elected to serve as a Delegate in the Presidential Election. Handy currently serves on the Baker Street Advisory Board where he and other representatives from the Centennial Olympic Park area help make critical decisions about the area’s development. He is a member of the Central Atlanta Transportation Study Downtown Transportation Committee, as well as an active member in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

As the Vice President of Group Sales for the Georgia Aquarium, Will Ramsey is responsible for developing and implementing the Group Sales Program within the Georgia Aquarium Marketing Plan. In addition, he oversees the sales of the catered event program for the Aquarium, including all event services staff and the Wolfgang Puck Catering team.

Ramsey brings a vast knowledge of guest relations and group sales to the Georgia Aquarium. As Guest Relations Supervisor at Busch Garden in Tampa, Florida, Ramsey led and motivated a staff of 15 guest relations representatives. He was responsible for revenue taken and tickets sold; he supervised the season pass operation as well as the sale of group tickets.

At the Florida Aquarium, Ramsey served as the Events Coordinator, Group Sales Representative, and Group Sales Manager. In his nine years with the Florida Aquarium, his responsibilities ranged from the coordination of all aquarium special events to directing a group sales staff that was responsible for generating special event revenue.

At the Georgia Aquarium, Ramsey works closely with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau on in-market site inspections and out-of-market sales calls to maximize convention group revenue potential. Directing a group sales and services staff of eight, he also oversees the catering sales operation of Wolfgang Puck Catering to ensure successful events.

As the Vice President of Veterinary Services and Husbandry, Timothy Mullican, DVM, oversees laboratory and clinical support, nutrition services and develops training to maintain the highest quality staff and exhibits at the Georgia Aquarium. He also plays a major role in managing the Aquarium’s aquatic animal pathology program in cooperation with the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine.

Mullican graduated from the University of Dayton with a bachelor’s degree in biology and continued his education at Purdue University, where he received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. During his time in school, he also studied at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to receive his AQUAVET certification.

Mullican has more than 20 years of experience in the veterinary field. Mullican worked with the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky. He started as a Consulting Veterinarian and later became Executive Director, a position he held until 2005. After working for nine years in a clinical veterinary practice, Mullican became President of the Medical Division at Observatory Group, Inc. While at this company, Mullican also became President of Digital Education Publishing. In this position he published custom medical textbooks and created CD-ROMs for medical and scientific audiences.

Mullican not only has experience in the medical field, but also has consulting experience with different companies. Recently, Mullican was the principal consultant for TJM Associates in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked with various companies on a variety of medical and veterinary projects.

As Chief Veterinarian for the Georgia Aquarium, Dr. Tonya Clauss serves as the head clinical veterinarian, managing all clinical cases, including the treatment room and surgery suite.

Clauss received her first bachelor’s in Animal Biology from the University of Florida in 1996 and her second bachelor’s in wildlife ecology and chemistry in 1997. In 2003, Clauss received her doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Florida. Clauss completed one more year to graduate with a master’s from the University of Florida’s Environmental Engineering department.

In 1994, Clauss began her career as a veterinary assistant for the Williston Veterinary Clinic in Florida. During this time, she also worked as a veterinary and research assistant at the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Florida. In 2001, Clauss became a workshop and wetlab assistant at the North American Veterinary Conference, located in Orlando, Florida. In 2003, Clauss accepted a position as staff veterinarian at the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida. Clauss was hired as director of veterinary services for Pelican Man’s Bird Sanctuary in Sarasota in 2004. While at this position, Clauss became a research affiliate for the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, a position she held until December 2007. In February 2005, Clauss accepted a position as chief veterinarian for the Georgia Aquarium.

Clauss has received specialized training in numerous areas, ranging from reptile critical care medicine, to immunology for aquatic animal clinicians, to aquatic invertebrate medicine. Clauss has taught veterinary courses at various institutions, including the University of Georgia and the University of Florida. Along with several speaking engagements, Clauss is also a published author. She has participated in many research studies and professional presentations. Clauss has won various awards, including the 2003 Learner Family Wildlife Conservation Award for excellence in wildlife and zoological medicine.

Clauss is a member of many professional affiliations, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. She currently serves as a student liaison committee member for the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine and is a research committee member at the Georgia Aquarium.

As Science Officer at the Georgia Aquarium, Bruce Carlson is responsible for the Aquarium’s conservation and research initiatives.

In 1971, Carlson received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After graduating, he traveled to Guyana, South America, where he worked as a research assistant studying the reproductive biology of freshwater fishes.

In 1972, he joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. His task was to conduct a biological survey of the marine life of the Fiji Islands and help establish a permanent collection for the university. Nearly 30 years later, the university has created a new museum to house this collection, which has become very important for marine studies in Fiji.

In 1975, Carlson moved to Hawaii where he earned a doctorate at the University of Hawaii. He started work at the Waikiki Aquarium in 1976 as a student aquarist. As an aquarist, he initiated a series of new exhibits which were “firsts” in the United States, including chambered nautilus in 1976, cuttlefish in 1977 and living corals and giant clams in 1978. His research on nautilus eventually led to a successful breeding program for these “living fossils,” and in 1991 the Association of Zoos and Aquariums awarded the prestigious “Bean Award” to the Waikiki Aquarium in recognition of this work.

Carlson was appointed Director of the Waikiki Aquarium in 1990. In 1992, he began work on a $3 million renovation of the old Aquarium. Under his direction, the Aquarium operated on a budget of about $2.5 million annually and employed 38 full-time staff assisted by more than 200 trained volunteers from the community.

After 27 years working at the Waikiki Aquarium, Carlson joined the Georgia Aquarium and was part of the original team that designed the Aquarium. Carlson is an avid SCUBA diver, underwater photographer and videographer. He has published several scientific articles on numerous topics including descriptions of new species of reef fishes, telemetry work on chambered nautilus and culture methods for corals in aquariums. Carlson is also co-author of “Bringing the Ocean to Atlanta: The Creation of the Georgia Aquarium,” which contains hundreds of beautiful photographs and details the incredible journey from Bernie Marcus’ vision to the reality of the world’s largest aquarium.

As Director of Research and Conservation, Dr. Dove is responsible for carrying out research activities for the Georgia Aquarium and administering collaborative research with our partner institutions; he is the current chair of the Research Committee. Dr. Dove also serves as the manager of the Veterinary Services Laboratory, where staff and volunteers carry out veterinary diagnostic testing and water quality analyses for the collection.

Dr. Dove obtained a 1st class Honors degree in Zoology and Parasitology in 1994 from the University of Queensland, Australia, studying parasites of jacks (a predatory fish group) on coral reefs. His PhD studies focused on the ecology of parasites infecting invasive fish species in Australian lakes and rivers, for which he was awarded a Deans List commendation and a University Medal.

After moving to the USA in 2000, Dr. Dove served as Curator of Aquatic Animal Health at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island, Brooklyn. He then spent five years as a marine science professor for both Cornell University and Stony Brook University and established the first NY State marine diagnostic laboratory in Stony Brook, NY. From that base, he worked with many scientists and students in New England, researching the impacts of climate change on the health of coastal marine life, especially lobsters, striped bass, bluefish and clams. From 2001-2004 he also served as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University, teaching classes in symbiosis and coral reef ecology.

Dr. Dove joined the Georgia Aquarium team in 2006. His research interests continue on the theme of “health in aquatic animals”, with a current focus on parasites of marine life (a collaboration with UGA) and the biology of whale sharks (a collaboration with GA Tech). Since 1994, he has been awarded 8 research grants and has published 28 scientific articles on topics ranging from parasite ecology, invertebrate diseases, taxonomy and the biological impacts of climate change.

In addition, he is an active participant in the scientific community of aquatic animal health professionals and is a member of several societies, holding committee positions for the American Fisheries Society and the American Society of Parasitologists. He continues to teach aquatic animal health through the AQUAVET program taught annually at Woods Hole MA, and is an adjunct faculty member at UGA, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, Stony Brook University and Savannah State College.

As the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Georgia Aquarium, Scott Higley is responsible for driving attendance for the Aquarium and building its reputation as the largest and most engaging aquarium experience in the world through public relations outreach, marketing partnerships and communications initiatives.

Higley graduated from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism, mass communications and marketing. Throughout his early career, Higley specialized in retail marketing, public relations and sponsorship sales while working for global corporations such as Simon Property Group and Jones Lang LaSalle. During that time, he masterminded the marketing strategy behind a massive shopping mall redevelopment in Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Higley successfully created marketing programs for the opening one of the nation’s largest retail and entertainment properties, the two-million square foot Mall of Georgia, establishing that property's marketing programs and practices and helping it to develop into the the economic powerhouse it is today.

Later Higley served as Director of Marketing for iconic Atlanta shopping destination Lenox Square, driving marketing initiatives which helped the mall reach its highest aggregrate sales to date and managing such beloved events as the mall’s annual Fourth of July Fireworks celebration, which draws 300,000 guests each year. More recently, he was responsible for leading the marketing team for the grand opening of Atlantic Station, a 140-acre mixed-use development in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, establishing the property’s marketing programs and winning several industry awards for innovative marketing practices. Prior to joining the Aquarium, Higley served as the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Atlanta-based retail and office development and management company Ben Carter Properties.

At the Georgia Aquarium, Higley oversees the integration of promotions, marketing initiatives, the official web site, e-communications, social media and public relations. He will be responsible for many aspects of the marketing and communications behind the Aquarium’s largest expansion to-date, a $110 million dolphin exhibit and show, scheduled to open in late 2010.

Higley is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He has served as an executive board member for the Buckhead Alliance and was a founding member of the marketing advisory council for the Georgia chapter of The March of Dimes. He has also served as a member of the Luxury Marketing Council of Georgia and the Georgia Hospitality and Lodging Association.

As Vice President of Facilities and Operations, Heather McKeen is responsible for the buildings and property of the Georgia Aquarium. McKeen leads the Plant Engineering, Environmental Operations, Security Department and oversees all capital improvement projects. In addition, McKeen is also the primary liaison to Parking Deck operator.

An Atlanta-area native, McKeen earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Georgia Tech in 1995 before going on to complete a master’s degree in construction management at Southern Polytechnic State University in 1998. She brings with her over 13 years of experience in program and construction management.

After receiving her degrees, McKeen accepted a position at Beers Construction Company, where she worked for two years as an office engineer. During her time at Beers, she was involved with the challenging and innovative design and construction of the Georgia Public Television Communications headquarters in Atlanta, which was specially built to hold the nation’s first entirely digital TV station, as well as the construction of several state prisons throughout Georgia.

Prior to joining Georgia Aquarium’s team, McKeen served as a senior project manager at Heery International, where she oversaw several projects throughout the southeast, including the $111 million dolphin expansion exhibit and $5.5 million coldwater renovation at the Aquarium. Under her direction, the dolphin expansion project, which occurred simultaneously with the coldwater renovation, was accelerated by four months to accommodate the arrival of the dolphins. In addition, she was also the project manager of the team that originally designed and built the Aquarium before it opened in 2005.

McKeen is a LEED AP, which is a professional credential awarded by the Green Building Certification Institute that demonstrates her knowledge of and certifies her in sustainable building technologies.