Calif. marine mammal center welcomes new leader

Sausalito, Calif.

- The tide has changed at the Marine Mammal Center (MMC) in Sausalito, Calif., with the appointment of Jeff Boehm, DVM, as the new executive director.

Boehm is moving to the MMC from the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where he worked as senior vice president of Animal Health and Conservation Science, Louis Family Conservation chair and joint chair for the Great Lakes Conservation Awareness initiative.

In his new position at the MMC, Boehm will oversee operations at the center's headquarters in Sausalito and additional locations in Monterey Bay, San Luis Obispo and Fort Bragg, according to a statement from MMC. He also will manage the completion of a rebuild project started in 2005 which will make the Sausalito facility the largest purpose-built marine mammal rehabilitation center in the nation, an MMC spokesperson says.

"The timing of Jeff's appointment to lead The Marine Mammal Center during a period of increasing interest in marine mammal health, and coincidental with the growth of our state-of-the-art facility, is ideal," said Merrill Magowan, chair of the board of directors at the MMC. "With Jeff's vast knowledge about veterinary medicine, science, and conservation issues, coupled with his extensive experience in providing operational oversight, he's well positioned to lead the center in its growth as a leader in marine mammal conservation."

Boehm also has worked as a zoo veterinarian in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.