New Board Members Elected to Serve the National Aquarium

The National Aquarium welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors, Founder of Capital Funding Group (CFG) Jack Dwyer and Medical Device Industry Executive Ronald M. Sparks. Both appointees are committed to not only the Aquarium's work right here in the Baltimore community, but also helping to expand its mission impact to protect our ocean planet.

"With their impressive experience and passion to serve, Jack and Ron are welcome additions to our Board of Directors," said National Aquarium CEO John Racanelli. "We're deeply honored that they have chosen to commit their time and talent to the Aquarium's mission of conservation, STEM education and equity throughout the Chesapeake region and beyond."

Jack Dwyer founded Capital Funding Group in 1993 and during his tenure has been involved in the financing of more than $5.9 billion in FHA-insured healthcare mortgages. Over the past 15 years, Jack formed Capital Health Group, LLC, Capital Lending and Mortgage Group, LLC, Capital Hospital Finance Group, LLC, Capital SeniorCare Ventures, LLC, Capital Financial Ventures, LLC, and Capital Spend Management, LLC. He currently owns and serves on the Board of Elegance Living, LLC. In 2019, Jack and CFG made a generous $3 million donation to the National Aquarium's waterfront campus, a project that will install a network of floating wetlands in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, creating habitat for native species, gradually improving the harbor's water quality and reconnecting residents and visitors with the natural world right at the water's edge. In 2020, Jack sponsored CFG Credit Partners, expanding CFG's Bridge-to-HUD lending capacity on a per transaction and per client basis. Most recently, Jack was named one of The Daily Record's 2021 Most Influential Marylanders. Jack received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Widener University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Ronald (Ron) M. Sparks has more than 44 years of executive experience in the medical device industry and has launched over 50 products across a wide range of healthcare specialties. Ron is currently Director and Compensation Committee Chair of PAVmed, Inc. (PAVM). Ron was Chairman and CEO of Navilyst Medical Inc. until its sale to AngioDynamics Inc. (ANGO) for $372.0 million in May 2012. Ron worked as an Industry Advisor for private equity firm Avista Capital Partners beginning in 2005 and helped manage various acquisitions in the medical device industry. Prior to Navilyst Medical Inc, he was President, CEO and Director of Accellent Inc., a market-leading provider of outsourced precision manufacturing and engineering services to the medical device industry. During his time at Accellent, Ron was recognized as the Credit Suisse/DLJ Merchant Bank 2005 CEO of The Year. Prior to Accellent, Ron was a member of the Executive Committee of Smith & Nephew PLC and ran two of the three divisions of Smith & Nephew in a career spanning twenty years. Ron has also served on numerous boards and industry councils, including the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), AdvaMed, International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery & Orthopeadic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) and the Society of Interventional Radiology. Ron is a fellow of the American Sports Medicine Fellowship Society and ISAKOS. Ron received a Bachelor of Science in finance and accounting from the University of Massachusetts and attended the INSEAD Advanced Management Program at the European Institute of Business Administration in Fontainebleau, France.