National Aquarium, Inc.

Marc Bunting is CEO of the Blue Jar Family Council, a multigenerational family council that inspires and encourages future generations to understand and strengthen the Bunting/Kranzlin/Duffy family values and foster wealth.

In addition, Marc is the chief financial officer and co-founder of Alpine Food Service Solutions. Alpine was incorporated in 1996, and within two years had established itself as a unique food service provider for host locations on college campuses and hospitals within the United States. Alpine currently operates healthy food service concepts that have won numerous quality product and service awards since its inception. Marc received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stevenson University, and earned a Wealth Management Certificate from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. A native Baltimorean, Marc serves on the board of directors for a number of organizations, such as Civic Works, Stevenson University, Outward Bound and Catholic Charities. His philanthropic ventures include his role as director of the Bunting Family Foundation. Marc resides in Monkton, Maryland, and has two daughters, Calli and Jessie.

ex officio

As president and CEO of the National Aquarium, John leads a team of 600 full-time and part-time employees and 1,000 volunteers in pursuing the Aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. The Aquarium welcomes 1.3 million guests annually at its campus on Baltimore’s famous Inner Harbor, and touches millions more through its engaging guest experiences, valuable educational programs and meaningful conservation initiatives.

John drives organizational priorities that evolve how the National Aquarium of the 21st century should look, operate and fulfill its mission. These priorities include three major projects through 2022—construction of a new Animal Care and Rescue Center, modernization of the Aquarium’s waterfront campus for public urban conservation engagement and creation of North America’s first dolphin sanctuary.

John joined the National Aquarium in July 2011 after 10 years as president of a San Francisco-based consulting firm that he founded to provide expert counsel to nonprofit leaders nationally and globally. During that time, his firm worked with over 30 leading cultural and conservation organizations—among them the Sylvia Earle Alliance/Mission Blue, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Surfrider Foundation.

Prior to this, John spent 16 years in leadership positions at U.S. aquariums, including CEO of the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, and vice president of marketing and development for Monterey Bay Aquarium. While in college, John began his career as a diver and aquarist, experiences that he credits with giving him great appreciation for the work of everyone on the Aquarium team. John holds a degree in strategic management from Dominican University of California.

Timothy J. Adams is president and CEO of Systems Application & Technologies, Inc. (SA-TECH), a company he founded in 1989. SA-TECH is a progressive and steadily-growing professional services firm with origins in program management, operations and maintenance, logistics, high technology and technical support services to the Department of Defense.

Timothy holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and a bachelor’s degree in science from Xavier University. He has also attended Dartmouth College’s Minority Business Executive Program and the Business Innovation Management Program at University of Maryland, College Park. Timothy is the recipient of Maryland’s Democratic Party Distinguished Leadership Award and has been recognized as one of the top 100 African-American leaders in America by the National Black Chamber of Commerce. He has generously given his time, talents and financial support to a variety of businesses and community organizations, and serves on several boards within the community. Timothy resides in Bowie, Maryland, with his wife, Sheila R. Tillerson Adams, and twins Timothy Jr. and Kayla. His daughter, Tiara Adams, is a senior at Bowie State University in Bowie, Maryland.

John Bremer, a U.S. Air Force veteran and electrical engineer, has more than 20 years of experience in health care business development, product design, manufacturing and sales for government and commercial markets. He currently serves as the president of CIMED International, a manufacturer of high-quality medical equipment and facilities. John is also the founder and CEO of DIANAssociates, a telehealth service provider. Previously, he served as a senior military officer in the Air Force Medical Service Corps, primarily as a biomedical engineer. He is a long-term member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers and current county executive appointee to the Anne Arundel County Veterans Affairs Commission. John holds a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University and Milwaukee School of Engineering, respectively.

Keith Campbell founded Campbell & Company in 1972 and currently serves as chairman on its board of directors. Campbell & Company is one of the largest derivative investment managers in the world, with a global client base that includes institutions, corporations and individuals. Headquartered in Baltimore, it employs more than 130 skilled professionals and manages billions of dollars.

Following his success in the investment field, Keith founded the Campbell Foundation in 1998 to improve the conditions of the Chesapeake Bay and other Atlantic coastal bays. In 2003, the foundation expanded its reach to include northern California under the leadership of Keith’s daughter and the foundation’s president, Samantha Campbell. Keith serves as chairman of the Campbell Foundation, which is the top private funder for Chesapeake Bay waterways. In 2008, he was the recipient of the Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and received the first Outdoors Maryland Award for Stewardship of the Environment from Maryland Public Television. Keith and his wife, Pat, live in Baltimore. When not engaged in business and environmental matters, Keith likes to fish, surf, golf, fly and travel.

Chair, Finance Committee

David manages Brown Advisory’s national and international growth as its chief financial officer. With a focus on building world-class teams and a strong organizational culture, David’s leadership extends into the community, where he serves on the board of several nonprofits. David has served in various financial and operations leadership roles throughout his career, and thrives in growing entrepreneurial enterprises. The intersection of finance, management and operations comes together at Brown Advisory, where David oversees all non-investment areas. He joined Brown Advisory in 1997 and co-led the management buyout transaction of Brown Advisory from Bankers Trust.

As an extension of her grandfather's pioneering efforts to bring the public and our planet together, Céline Cousteau connects audiences around the globe with the marine world by sharing stories of the world's ecosystems, species and people through film and documentaries, research, art and design, and public speaking. Cousteau founded and serves as director of CauseCentric Productions, which creates cause focused multimedia content. She is currently in development of an impact campaign for her latest film, "Tribes on the Edge," featuring the indigenous tribes of the Vale do Javari in the Brazilian Amazon. As an extension of Cousteau's family legacy, she also co-founded The Céline Cousteau Film Fellowship, a nonprofit program whose mission is to empower young aspiring filmmakers, creatives and activists to inspire change through filmmaking.

In addition to serving as ambassador for the TreadRight Foundation and previously as a Member of the World Economic Forum Council on Oceans, Cousteau brings awareness to the environment through beauty and fashion collaborations, including her roles as a Guest Designer for Swarovski and creating coral-inspired jewelry for a sustainable luxury fashion collection by London based designer Deborah Milner. Cousteau also sits in on the advisory boards of The Himalayan Consensus and Marine Construction Technologies.

Cousteau, fluent in three languages, holds a degree in psychology from Skidmore College and a masters in intercultural relations from the School for International Training in Vermont.

Nancy served as state superintendent of Maryland Public Schools for 20 years, serving 24 districts, more than 1,000 schools and nearly 870,000 students. She began her career as a teacher at the William S. Baer School for the Deaf in Baltimore before serving as principal and associate superintendent in Baltimore County. Nancy received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Towson University, her master’s degree in deaf education from Gallaudet University and her doctorate in communicative sciences from Johns Hopkins University.

Nancy has fought to establish high standards in every Maryland classroom, and as a result, performance and expectations significantly improved. As one of her final acts as state superintendent, Nancy secured a $250 million Race to the Top grant from the U.S. Department of Education. In 2012, she was appointed as the Presidential Scholar for Innovation in Teacher and Leader Preparation at Towson University. Nancy is also a faculty member at the Kennedy-Krieger Institute, where she co-directs an innovative fellowship program to prepare administrators to be leaders in special education. Recent additions to Nancy’s lengthy list of awards are the Daily Record’s 2014 Innovator of the Year for her “All SySTEMs Go” initiative and the National Association for Gifted Children President’s Award in 2014.

Life Director

Frank has long been considered a father figure to the National Aquarium. Baltimore City Mayor William Schaefer selected him as founding chairman of the Board of Directors—a role he held from 1977 to 1983, supervising the Aquarium’s construction phase and its first years of operation. In 1983, Frank was elected the first chairman of the National Aquarium Foundation, Inc., ensuring the stewardship of the endowment program and the organization’s financial stability. He served on the advisory board between 1986 and 1989, and served two terms on the board of governors between 1989 and 1995. Frank chaired the Board between 1991 and 1994, and was named Director Emeritus in 2000. Frank has been a valuable member of the building, corporate gifts, long-range planning and development committees. He has also served on the boards of the Walters Art Gallery, Enoch Pratt Free Library, College of Notre Dame of Maryland and United Way of Central Maryland. Frank currently resides in Ocean City, Maryland, with his wife, Mary Ellen. He’s the proud father of eight children.

As president of Merritt Companies, Robb Merritt oversees daily operations and management of the company, including Merritt Construction Services, Merritt Properties and Merritt Clubs. Merritt joined the family business in 1989 on the field construction crew, learning the business from the ground up as his father did, and taking over the expansion of the company in 2000.

Merritt sits on the President's Advisory Council for the Greater Baltimore Committee as well as the Baltimore County Economic Development Commission. His appointment to the National Aquarium Board of Directors accompanies his positions as board member to both the Maryland Business Leadership PAC and Living Classrooms Foundation. Merritt also previously served as president of the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and is currently a member of the Legislative Committee and serves as governor of the NAIOP Research Foundation. Merritt is a graduate of the University of Colorado and received an MBA from Loyola University.

Representative for the Mayor

Carolyn Mozell began her public service career in 1985 working for a United States Congressman and has subsequently been appointed to positions of leadership for a Baltimore City Councilman, a Maryland State Delegate, two Baltimore City Council Presidents and two Baltimore City Mayors. Mrs. Mozell is currently the Deputy Chief of Staff for Neighborhood and Economic Development to Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young. In this capacity, she oversees a portfolio of 13 standing and quasi-city agencies involved in economic development, workforce development, community economic development, business regulation, tourism and the Planning Department which is responsible for implementing Census 2020. She is also the Mayor's Equity in City Government Initiative Manager tasked with providing guidance and training to city agencies in developing an Equity Assessment Program to aid in eliminating disparate outcomes in city government decision-making in programs, policies, operations and the allocation of fiscal resources. Prior to her current post, Mrs. Mozell was the Chief of Staff to City Council President Young where she was responsible for managing the Board of Estimates (the city's contract approval panel), the citywide budget process, business and economic development, legislative and constituent matters, as well as overall office operations. She was appointed the Baltimore City representative to the MSA Board by Mayor Young in 2019. Mrs. Mozell received a Bachelor's of Science Degree in African American Studies, Public Policy Concentration from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a member of the Baltimore Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and serves on the boards of the National Aquarium, Baltimore Development Corporation, Visit Baltimore and Suited to Succeed Dress for Success Greater Baltimore.

Representative for the Baltimore County Executive, ex officio

Samantha O'Neil currently serves as the Senior Advisor to Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr., where she coordinates external communication, outreach and partnerships, and policy development. Before joining the Olszewski Administration, O'Neil served as Vice President of Margrave Strategies, a Columbia‐based consulting firm that provides economic development and visioning services to anchor institutions and businesses throughout Maryland. She has over a decade of public sector and communications experience and previously served as special assistant to former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. In this capacity, O'Neil led social media engagement on behalf of the Executive Office and served as the primary liaison to elected officials, community and business leaders and other stakeholders in Howard County and across Maryland. O'Neil graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 and earned her master's degree in Public Communication from American University in 2006. She resides in Catonsville with her husband, Eric, and their English Setter, Hoosier.

Baltimore County Executive, ex officio

John "Johnny O" Olszewski, Jr. is a lifelong Baltimore County resident who believes in the power of public service and giving back to a community that has done so much for him. He is a graduate of Sparrows Point High School, earned his undergraduate degree from Goucher College and earned a master's degree from The George Washington University. Last December, Johnny earned his Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Chair, Philanthropy Committee

Currently a partner and director of commercial real estate firm Ward Properties, Jennifer has spent more than 28 years in the asset management business, most recently serving as vice chair and chief investment officer at Legg Mason Trust. Jennifer served as chair of the board of governors of the National Aquarium from 2011 to 2013, is past chair of the National Aquarium Foundation, Inc. and has been a member of the National Aquarium Board of Directors since 1994. Jennifer has been a trustee of Dickinson College since 2000, and currently serves as chair of the board of trustees. She co-chaired the First in America capital campaign at Dickinson College between 2006 and 2011.

In addition, she is a board member of First Mariner Bank and serves on the investment committees of the Walters Art Museum, Sheppard Pratt Investment Corp. and President’s Advisory Council of Notre Dame of Maryland University. She has twice been named one of “Maryland’s Top 100 Women” by the Daily Record and is a past recipient of the Distinguished Women Award from the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. Jennifer received her undergraduate degree from Dickinson College, a master’s of finance from Loyola College and is a chartered financial analyst.

Chair, Conservation Committee

Tom is currently a senior adviser in the real estate investment banking division of Stifel Nicolaus & Co., a financial services firm. He served as managing director for Stifel and previously Legg Mason Wood Walker from June 1997 to 2005. Previously, he was president and chief financial officer of Storage USA, a real estate investment trust headquartered in Columbia, Maryland at the time.

Tom also serves on the boards of directors of Essex Property Trust, First Potomac Realty Trust and Tanger Factory Outlet Centers. He is a former governor and longstanding member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, which awarded him an Industry Achievement Award in 2009.

In addition to being the chair of the National Aquarium's Conservation Committee, Tom currently serves on the McDonogh School's Investment Committee.

Tom received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University, his master’s degree in taxation from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University. He resides with his wife, Betty, in Baltimore

Environmental philanthropist and ocean activist Shari Sant Plummer is President and Founder of Code Blue Charitable Foundation, Secretary/Trustee of the Summit Charitable Foundation, founding board member of the Sylvia Earle Alliance, and Vice President of Seacology. Shari is also a member of the Ocean Unite Advisory Board, Nature's Best Photography Advisory Council, and the World Wildlife Fund's National Council. A proponent of impact photography and filmmaking, she served as board chair of the International League of Conservation Photographers for five years, and is currently an affiliate.

Shari is also a producer of documentary films including the Netflix documentaries "Mission Blue" (Executive Producer), and "Chasing Coral" (Associate Producer). She is Executive Producer on "Anote's Ark" which opened at Sundance 2018, and is Executive Producer on "Sharkwater Extinction", and "Ghost Fleet" currently in production for release in the Fall of 2018.

A graduate of NYU, Shari worked as Senior Stylist and Design Director for Ralph Lauren in New York for nine years, then as Visual Director at Esprit. She later founded the environmental lifestyle store, Worldware, in San Francisco in 1994. She sold the business in 2001, and now devotes herself full-time to environmental work, with a focus on producing impact media to inspire change.

An avid diver, photographer and ocean activist, Shari travels extensively throughout the world promoting ocean conservation and environmental awareness and lives in New York and California.

Alex Smith is the founder and president of Atlas Restaurant Group, the parent company of several eateries in Baltimore's Harbor East neighborhood, including Ouzo Bay, Azumi and Loch Bar, among others. The group recently opened two restaurants—Ouzo Bay and Loch Bar—in Boca Raton, Florida, and will soon be opening locations in Houston. Alex serves on the board of directors of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Visit Baltimore. Prior to founding the Atlas Restaurant Group, Alex played lacrosse professionally for the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Delaware and lives in Baltimore.

Tamika is a Deloitte advisory principal and serves as Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP’s greater Washington market leader and the local market liaison to the regional managing partner. Tamika’s litigation consulting experience, which spans 20 years, includes participating in matters such as breach of contract, franchise disputes, lost profits, business interruption, intellectual property disputes, professional malpractice, health care and government contract compliance matters, personal injury, wrongful death and wrongful termination and bankruptcies, including claims relating to fraudulent conveyances and insolvency.

In addition, Tamika has significant experience in forensic accounting investigations and corporate governance matters in a broad spectrum of industries, including SEC investigations where issues surrounding executive conduct and whistleblower allegations have been called into question. In addition, she has spent considerable time investigating executive conduct, vendor relationships and similar issues. Specifically, she has led internal and external investigations of suspected improper and fraudulent behavior by employees, vendors, contractors, executive directors and trustees of not-for-profit organizations, institutions, foundations and estates.

Having served as an expert witness and as a monitor, Tamika has also assisted clients in the development of trial strategy as it pertains to damage, lost profits and forensic matters. Tamika has been a frequent lecturer on corporate governance and Sarbanes Oxley matters.

Tamika received a Juris Doctor from University of Maryland School of Law, a master’s degree in business administration from the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Mount St. Mary’s College. She is a licensed attorney in the state of Maryland. She is a recipient of the National Bar Association’s Cora T. Walker Legacy Award and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Black Law Student Association’s 2014 Alumna of the Year Award. Tamika has also been recognized as one of the “Top 40 under 40” by both the National Bar Association and Business Forward. Most recently, Tamika was featured in Essence magazine’s Power List 2014, in which she was recognized as a “game changer” with the likes of Queen Latifah.

Elizabeth serves as the senior adviser to the commissioner of the Large Business and International Division of the Internal Revenue Service. She is a principal adviser responsible for providing policy-level legal and technical analysis and advice, proactively identifying emerging trends that impact tax administration and developing key stakeholder relationships outside the IRS. Prior to returning to public service in 2008, Elizabeth was the director of governmental affairs at the National Association of Bond Lawyers. She also served as a director in the Washington national tax offices of KPMG LLP and PwC LLP and was an associate at Latham & Watkins. Elizabeth received a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law, a master’s degree in accountancy/taxation from the University of Houston and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Texas. Her professional memberships include the Texas State and District of Columbia Bar Associations, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the American Bar Association. Elizabeth serves on the board of directors for the Coral Reef Alliance. She is also a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium.

Bernard C. "Jack" Young became the 51st Mayor of Baltimore City on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

He served from 2010 to 2019 as the President of the Baltimore City Council, and for 14 years prior to that as a District Councilman. Mayor Young has played a major role in passing legislation that has increased funding for education, crime prevention and helped to spur economic development across the City.

A native East Baltimorean, Mayor Young has championed efforts to increase government transparency, fight for equitable housing opportunities, and bolster funding for education. In all, Mayor Young has driven the development of more than 80 affordable housing projects in neighborhoods throughout the city. Mayor Young got his start in politics as a former special assistant to then-City Council President Mary Pat Clarke.

Mayor Young is married and he and his wife have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. He attends United Baptist Church in East Baltimore.