Jacksonville's Museum of Science & History hires new CEO from Georgia Aquarium

Jacksonville's Museum of Science & History has hired a new chief executive officer who brings a world of experience to the job.

Alistair D.M. Dove, who serves as vice president of science and education at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, will take office on Feb. 5. Dove takes over for Bruce Fafard, who came aboard as the museum's chief operating officer in 2020 and was named as CEO the following year. Fafard announced his plans to retire a year ago.

Dove, who is renowned as a shark researcher, holds degrees in microbiology, parasitology and zoology from the University of Queensland in his native Australia. He also worked at the Wildlife Conservation Society and Cornell, Stony Brook and Columbia universities before joining the Georgia Aquarium 17 years ago. He is chairman of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Aquariums Committee and is an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia, Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

He was selected by the museum's board of trustees from a field of more than 50 candidates, with help from an executive search firm.

"Al is a renowned scientist, an experienced educator, a captivating storyteller and a proven leader from a world-class institution," said William Magevney, chairman of the MOSH board. "He’s the right fit at the right time and we can’t wait for him to get to work.”

Dove said he applied for the job because it's a unique opportunity, with a storied institution about to embark on a huge new chapter.

MOSH, which was first formed in 1941 and has been housed on the Southbank for 55 years, is in the middle of planning a new $100 million museum that will be located on the Northbank, near the location of the USS Orleck military museum off Bay Street. Jacksonville's City Council approved a lease for the new facility in April.

The MOSH Genesis project envisions a new museum that uses the St. Johns River as a teaching tool. The new museum would be housed in a three-floor, 100,000-square-foot building on 2.5 acres of city-owned property at the foot of A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. Groundbreaking is scheduled for later this year, with an 18-month construction timeline and a tentative opening date in 2026 or '27. The city has committed $20 million from its Capital Improvement Fund to the MOSH project.

Dove said he's visited Northeast Florida to work at a Georgia Aquarium field station near St. Augustine. He said he's been through several major expansions at the Georgia Aquarium and looks forward to working on the new MOSH. "Any time you get a chance to get involved in a new build, that’s attractive," he said.

One thing he'd like to change is the target audience for MOSH's education programs. Most have historically been aimed at the "yellow bus" crowd of school field trips. He said he'd like to diversify the education programs to attract a wider audience to the museum. He said he has two children who are excited to see what MOSH has to offer.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville's MOSH hires Alistair D.M. Dove from Georgia Aquarium