New Company
The Florida Aquarium
New Position
Board chair
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Former Company
Former Position
The Florida Aquarium’s Board of Directors unanimously approved Kimberly A. Bruce, as the organization’s new Board Chair at its annual meeting.
Bruce, the managing director at CIBC USA, has nearly three decades of commercial banking experience and has been a member of The Florida Aquarium Board since 2017. She was installed for her two-year term as the Aquarium's Board Chair replacing Daniel Borash, a retired executive who has served on the Board since 2001, last two years as Chair.
“This is a time of historic growth at The Florida Aquarium and we are thrilled to have someone with Kim’s national executive leadership experience and passion for wildlife, education and community leading the Board,” said Roger Germann, President and CEO of The Florida Aquarium. “We are also extremely grateful to outgoing Chair, Dan Borasch, who over the past two years elevated all aspects of the Aquarium through his leadership, guidance and dedication to our mission and staff.”
“When the Aquarium opened in 1995, my family became one of its first donors and regular visitors. To now be serving as Board Chair twenty-four years later is truly an honor,” said Kimberly Bruce. “As Chair, I have the privilege of working with the finest Board of Directors in the state. Together with our world-class staff, we’re going to elevate our brand, increase our mission impact, strengthen our bottom-line, and live into our name as Florida’s Aquarium.”
From record-setting attendance, to becoming the first to successfully reproduce Atlantic coral in human care, The Florida Aquarium is riding a wave of recent success. In August, the Aquarium adopted a bold, new visionary strategic plan and is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2020. With an eye to the future, the Governance committee of the Board sought new members that reflect the dynamic and diverse revitalization the organization and the Tampa Bay region is experiencing. Joining Bruce and 23 other Board members are nine new members that exemplify leadership in their industries and community, bring a diversity of thought, and come from various backgrounds that support the Aquarium’s strategies, goals and needs today and in the future.
Nine new members of the Aquarium’s board include:
• Douglas Brigman, Senior Vice President, Raymond James Financial
• Christopher Brandriff, Executive Director, J.P. Morgan Chase
• John Couris, President & Chief Executive Officer, Tampa General Hospital
• Andrea Gonzmart Williams, Owner -5th Generation, Columbia Restaurant Group
• Kyle M. Klement, President & CEO, Klemtek Media
• Craig Klingensmith, President, Coastal Construction of Tampa, LLC
• Rita Lowman, President, Pilot Bank
• Larry Shannon, Ph.D., President & CEO, Shannon and Associates Consulting
• Lakshmi Shenoy, CEO, EMBARC Collective
“With the addition of our newest members, we truly have a highly qualified and enthusiastic Board that is committed to protecting and restoring our vulnerable blue planet in our aquatic backyard, throughout Florida and around the globe,” said Germann. “Each member is critical to our long-term success as we grow our conservation impact and increase the visibility of the Aquarium in the community and across the state.”
The Board of Directors has the primary responsibility for governance oversight and fiduciary accountability. The Board provides strategic direction for institutional priorities through work in both governance and programmatic committees.
