Monterey Bay Aquarium Names New CEO

After more than four decades under its founding executive director, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is preparing for a leadership shift.

Dr. Jenny Gray will step in as the Aquarium’s new chief executive officer in May, succeeding Julie Packard, who has led the institution since it opened in 1984. Packard will remain on the Aquarium’s board.

Gray comes to Monterey from Australia, where she has served as CEO of Zoos Victoria, a conservation organization. In the zoo and aquarium world, she’s known for centering ethics, animal welfare and large-scale conservation in her work.

“The opportunity to lead Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a platform for me to contribute to ocean conservation, steward another iconic institution, and take on a new professional challenge,” Gray said in a statement. Packard said the transition feels like a natural next step.

“We’re excited because Jenny Gray is one of the most influential zoo leaders in the world and a passionate champion for conservation,” Packard said in an email to KQED. “The throughline in her career has been to connect people with the beauty of this planet and to help them make decisions that support it.”

That approach closely mirrors the Aquarium’s mission: inspiring conservation of the ocean by blending immersive exhibits, science and storytelling. Since opening, the Aquarium has drawn hundreds of millions of visitors and welcomed millions of students for free educational programs.

Visitors shouldn’t expect a dramatic shift in tone. Packard said Gray has “tremendous admiration for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s inspiring exhibit experience and conservation impact” and is committed to delivering experiences that “educate and delight.”

But Gray’s background suggests she may also push the Aquarium’s public engagement further into the policy arena, Packard said.

At Zoos Victoria, she launched campaigns designed to translate awareness into measurable change. One, called “When Balloons Fly, Seabirds Die,” focused on plastic pollution. By spotlighting how balloon clips were turning up in dead seabirds’ stomachs, the campaign helped shift public behavior and ultimately contributed to a statewide ban on balloon releases in Victoria. Three years after the campaign began, balloon-related litter on one major coastline dropped by 63%.

“It’s too soon to tell” exactly what new campaigns might look like in Monterey, Packard said, but Gray has “a terrific track record of big public education campaigns that focus on specific issues that move the needle on bigger policy.”

As climate change intensifies pressure on ocean ecosystems, the Aquarium wants to focus on both education and advocacy. It plans to continue advancing science-based solutions and mobilizing its audiences through advocacy programs and partnerships, including closer collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to spotlight cutting-edge ocean climate research.

Gray is, Packard said, “crazy about animals.” Her favorite is a wombat — at least for now.

“She immediately emailed me when she heard we had an ocean sunfish (mola) in our Open Sea exhibit this week,” Packard said. “That’s just the start of what Monterey Bay has to share when it comes to animal life.”

Editor’s note: Monterey Bay Aquarium is a financial sponsor of KQED.