The National Aquarium in Baltimore has appointed Robert A. Ramin as executive director of the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., located in the Department of Commerce building. In this role, Mr. Ramin will serve as liaison between the two aquariums, and will bring the expertise and resources of the Baltimore facility to Washington’s National Aquarium.
Under a 2003 agreement, the National Aquarium in Baltimore operates Washington’s National Aquarium and provides resources in educational programming, animal care and exhibit design and development. Mr. Ramin will steward upgrades of the life support and animal programs, and the expansion of the National Aquarium’s conservation and education programs.
“With many years of zoo and aquarium experience and as an enthusiastic advocate for conservation, Bob is uniquely qualified to lead the Washington facility to a new level of achievement in education and community service,” said Dave Pittenger, executive director of the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Currently, working with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding, National Aquarium in Baltimore staff are collaborating with their colleagues at the Washington aquarium to upgrade life support systems, water quality and infrastructure. Mr. Ramin will oversee these upgrades and a staff of approximately 12, along with many dedicated volunteers.
Mr. Ramin brings 20 years experience in development, non-profit management and marketing to the National Aquarium in Washington, DC. He served as senior director of development at the National Aquarium in Baltimore from 2002 – 2005. He served as director of development and marketing for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association in Silver Spring, Md. from 1992 – 1999. From 1999 – 2002 he was the vice president of development and marketing for the African Wildlife Foundation in Washington, D.C. He also is a former director of annual programs at the University of Maryland.
Mr. Ramin earned his Master of Arts from the University of Maryland’s College of Education, and he holds a Masters in Business Administration from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in government from Cornell. He resides in Silver Spring, Md., with his wife and two children, and is an avid swimmer.
Washington’s National Aquarium is the longest continuously operating aquarium in the U.S., serving visitors since 1931 from the lower level of the Department of Commerce building. Like the National Aquarium in Baltimore, it is not funded by the federal government and relies on private and public support and admission revenue to operate.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, a non-profit organization, is Maryland’s most exciting and popular cultural attraction, as well as one of the region’s leading conservation and education resources, hosting more than 1.6 million visitors per year. The Aquarium’s mission is to connect people with aquatic life in order to create a better world for both. It’s dedicated to education and conservation through more than a dozen programs that serve the environment and the community.
