John Racanelli
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Aquarium
John Racanelli leads a diverse, talented team of employees and volunteers in pursuing the National Aquarium’s global mission to connect people with nature while inspiring care and compassion for our ocean planet.
One of America’s top three aquaria, the National Aquarium welcomes 1.2 million guests annually and reaches 10x that number via its many digital channels. Recognized as a visionary in ocean conservation, John has led some of the nation’s most successful aquariums in a career spanning 45 years. He is known for challenging legacy thinking and promoting entrepreneurial approaches in zoos and aquariums. His innovations include designing the world’s first dolphin sanctuary, creating revolutionary floating wetland technology and employing predictive analytics to evaluate and refine mission effectiveness.
John joined the National Aquarium in 2011 after 10 years leading a San Francisco based strategic consultancy serving conservation organizations including the Sylvia Earle Alliance/Mission Blue, IUCN and Surfrider Foundation. Over two prior decades, John served in leadership positions at the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Florida Aquarium, Tampa Bay’s leading cultural attraction. John began his career as a diver/aquarist and has never lost sight of his origins. He holds a degree in strategic management from the Dominican University of California.