THE SIR ARTHUR CLARKE INNOVATOR AWARDEE
JULIE PACKARD
for her global leadership in ocean conservation and initiating the importance of ecological education.
Under her leadership, the aquarium has pioneered innovative exhibits and education initiatives and has evolved into one of the nation’s leading ocean conservation organizations. It is known for its respected Seafood Watch program, work to improve ocean governance in California and beyond, and field research illuminating the lives and conservation challenges facing sea otters, white sharks and tuna in the wild. The aquarium envisions a world in which both people and nature thrive, and equity and social justice.
To Inspire Conservation of the Ocean.
She is a trustee of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and chairs the board of the independent Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, a world leader in deep ocean science and technology. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including the Audubon Medal for Conservation, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the California Coastal Commission’s Coastal Hero award. In 2013, she was appointed to California’s Parks Forward Commission to craft a vision and blueprint for the future of a state park system serving 38 million Californians.
She was a member of the Pew Oceans Commission and serves on the Joint Oceans Commission Initiative, where she works to implement comprehensive reform of U.S. ocean policy. She has addressed ocean issues as a featured speaker at international conferences, including the World Trade Organization, the International Aquarium Congress, and the Seafood Summit.
A marine biologist, Packard earned bachelors and master’s degrees in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a focus on marine algae.
Arthur Clarke Awards Special Guest
John Racanelli
will introduce Awardee Julie Packard
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.
