Dr. Brian Davis, president and CEO of The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, has joined the Board of Directors of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the prestigious national organization that sets the top standards for animal care and visitor safety at America’s zoos and aquariums.
Davis began a three-year term on Oct. 1 to serve as one of the AZA board’s 13 members, following his election at the AZA’s annual conference last month in Indianapolis. He will be involved in every aspect of the national organization, which oversees the highest accreditation standards for more than 230 zoos and aquariums in the U.S. AZA and its member institutions serve as professional leaders in animal care, ethics, conservation and education.
“I’m honored to be chosen by my peers for this important role within our industry’s leading organization,” Davis said. “AZA institutions continue to find better, smarter, purposeful ways to connect people and animals, and I am very excited to have a role in guiding those developments.”
Davis joined The Maritime Aquarium in December 2014, coming to Norwalk from the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, where he was vice president of education and training. Davis was the eighth member to join the Georgia Aquarium team – in 2003, two years prior to its opening – and was integral in the Aquarium’s design and development of the guest experience at what was then the world’s largest aquarium. He later developed educational programs for guests, including students at all academic levels.
Prior to the Georgia Aquarium, Dr. Davis was an educator at the New York Aquarium, program and education marketing coordinator at Zoo Atlanta, and a science teacher and administrator in the Georgia school system.
Davis earned a doctorate of philosophy in secondary science education (teaching and learning) and a master's of education degree in secondary science education from Georgia State University. He earned his bachelor’s of science degree in environmental science from Rutgers University.
“Dr. Davis’ brings broad experience and high standards – in education, exhibit design, animal care and guest experience – to the AZA's Board of Directors,” said AZA President and CEO Daniel Ashe. “We’re are excited to have Brian to share his experiences with AZA’s members, and to unleash his passion and enthusiasm on shaping the future of the Association and the zoological profession.”
Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science and recreation. The AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and eight other countries. Look for the AZA accreditation logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. The AZA is a leader in saving species and your link to helping animals all over the world. For more information, please visit aza.org.
An accredited institution of the AZA, The Maritime Aquarium is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate visitors about – and to create stewards for – Long Island Sound. It accomplishes this by allowing visitors to get close to more than 250 species native to the Sound and its watershed, including sharks, seals, sea turtles, river otters, jellyfish and other animals. One of the top places for family fun in Connecticut, the Aquarium also features hands-on educational programs and displays, public study cruises out onto the Sound, and Connecticut's largest IMAX movie theater, with a screen that's six stories high. TripAdvisor.com reviewers rate The Maritime Aquarium as one of the Top 20 aquariums in the U.S. and No. 1 in New England. Learn more at maritimeaquarium.org.