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Sloan marks her five-year anniversary as director in February, a position she embraced after working as the aquarium’s education curator for ten years previously. This unique perspective guides her mission as director.
As education curator, she spent time expanding the aquarium’s school and public programs.
Sloan who studied environmental science as an undergraduate and received her master’s degree in marine biology from University of North Carolina Wilmington has spent more than two decades in a career working with animals.
That includes time at the Dolphin Research Center and Brevard Zoo – both in Florida – before coming to the Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
While the aquarium director’s post involves overseeing its multimillion budget and exhibits, Sloan’s experience in conservation education influences her work now.
“With my education background, I’ve sort of chosen a field of communication and collaboration, and in a director’s role, I focus on trying to listen to all the stakeholders: our audience, our visitors, and internally, our staff,” Sloan says.
Engaging the public while educating them on critical issues of environmental concern is a balancing act that Sloan is tackling with a team that is ready for the challenge.
“We have an extremely talented staff who are just superstars. I get out of their way and support them because they are smart, passionate, and motivated, and I work to support them as best as I can,” she says.
According to Sloan, this means visitor experiences that educate and engage beyond the confines of the aquarium itself.
Fort Fisher’s Outreach program allows education staff to bring interactive programs to classrooms, groups, or events. Each program is adapted to fit the needs, age, and focus of a group with live animals and hands-on learning activities.
“It’s important to engage people on-site, but education comes in more critically off-site,” Sloan says. “We exist to foster an appreciation and educate about North Carolina’s aquatic environment. That’s our inspiration, and our outreach is a fantastic way to do that.”
Although the aquarium offers fun and entertaining exhibits, for Sloan, its tells a larger story about the mission-driven work that’s critical for the health of the ocean and all of its species.
“I believe what we do is important and that people come for the animals and choose to come to the aquarium because it’s a fun place to be, and we try to provide the most fun, engaging experience, but it can also be a transformative experience,” Sloan says. “When they leave the aquarium, they know it’s importan….
