The Seattle Aquarium Board of Directors is thrilled to name Meg McCann as the Aquarium’s President & CEO.
“I’m deeply honored and excited to continue leading and supporting the Aquarium’s efforts to inspire conservation of our marine environment on the waterfront and in the broader community,” McCann said.
A lifetime love of the ocean brought McCann to the Aquarium in 2024. She served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) before briefly serving as Acting President & CEO in 2025, ahead of the Ocean Pavilion’s grand opening. She reassumed the role of Acting President & CEO in January 2026.
“Meg has demonstrated incredible leadership and resiliency in this role since joining the Aquarium just two years ago,” Charles Wright, Jr., Seattle Aquarium Board Chair, said. “She has twice served as interim CEO and risen to every challenge. Not only is she the right leader to guide the Seattle Aquarium into its new era of conservation leadership, but she also brings the knowledge, experience and passion needed to make that vision a reality.”
Since joining the Seattle Aquarium in 2024, McCann has overseen a dramatic rise in visitors from around the world, with the Aquarium now welcoming more than one million people a year. She has also supported many innovative initiatives that blend technology, marine conservation science and sustainability to advance the nonprofit’s mission.
As Acting President and CEO, she has supported efforts by the Aquarium’s executives and staff to advance cutting-edge wildlife monitoring and conservation projects. These efforts include acquiring a new drone to enhance studies of sea otters along the Washington coast, launching new research on sixgill sharks in Puget Sound, and supporting many other active research projects focused on kelp, marine mammals, marine ecosystems, and more. She has also reaffirmed the Aquarium’s commitment to hands-on conservation and species recovery programs, such as pinto abalone release efforts here in the Pacific Northwest and helping to repopulate Indo-Pacific leopard sharks as part of the global ReShark coalition, serving a critical role in shark egg care and transportation to Indonesia.
“Equal parts anchor and catalyst, Meg is widely recognized as having already been an indispensable force during a time of historic change at the Seattle Aquarium, bringing clarity, momentum, and confidence,” Martha Kongsgaard, environmental leader and chair of the One Ocean, One Future campaign for the Ocean Pavilion, began. “Under her leadership, the Ocean Pavilion has welcomed more than one million guests to experience the wonder of Earth’s one ocean, allowing us to deepen and broaden our mission in ways that previously felt aspirational. As the need for this work grows more urgent, I have tremendous confidence in Meg’s ability to lead it with vision and purpose.”
McCann has also driven meaningful progress on sustainability and operations. Under her leadership, the Aquarium and Seattle City Light are implementing a new power purchase agreement alongside several other partners to reduce our carbon footprint and invest in additional renewable solar power for the regional grid. She has overseen a new partnership with King County Metro that incentivizes guests to use public transit, and supported the implementation of oxygen concentrators, as a replacement for bringing in outside oxygen, to advance animal care and sustainability.
McCann has also strengthened and expanded our community partnerships, enabling the Aquarium to share our mission with more people than ever before. As we prepare to welcome more than one million guests this year, we are finding new ways to connect with audiences even before they walk through our doors through new public programming along the waterfront and on the Ocean Pavilion’s rooftop, alongside longstanding public initiatives like the Beach Naturalist program offered throughout the region.
“Working closely with Meg before my retirement was truly a privilege,” said former President & CEO of the Seattle Aquarium Bob Davidson, who retired in 2025 after more than two decades of leadership. “I have seen firsthand her ability to advance our mission of inspiring conservation of our marine environment, guiding the Aquarium toward an exciting and innovative future.”
McCann’s many years of serving the local community as a lawyer and leader of mission-driven nonprofit and government organizations have taught her a great deal about creating and sustaining institutions that are healthy, vibrant and equitable.
McCann’s leadership experience prior to the Seattle Aquarium includes serving as interim CEO for Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), a Seattle-based nonprofit working to expand pathways to freedom, safety and hope for victims of sex trafficking; interim deputy director for operations and policy at the Washington State Office of the Governor’s Office of Equity; court administrator for Seattle Municipal Court; and deputy director for the Washington State Department of Licensing—as well as several leadership roles within the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.
McCann grew up in Rhode Island and has lived in Seattle for 26 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Hawai‘i and a J.D. from the Seattle University School of Law. An active Leadership Tomorrow alumna, she is currently completing an Executive MBA at University College of Dublin Smurfit Graduate Business School.
“As we head toward the Seattle Aquarium’s 50th anniversary in 2027, there’s so much to look forward to,” McCann said. “It’s a chance to honor how far we’ve come while dreaming big about the next 50 years—and I’m incredibly excited to help bring that vision to life.”
More reflections from the community
“Since joining the Aquarium in 2024, Meg McCann has elevated the Seattle Aquarium from a beloved destination into a defining feature of the city’s new waterfront. With the addition of the Ocean Pavilion, the Aquarium now anchors a revitalized Downtown—inviting, vibrant, and accessible to all. I’m confident her vision will continue to shape in meaningful ways the institution’s bright future.”
“Thanks to Meg’s leadership, the Seattle Aquarium is well positioned and a critical partner to support downtown Seattle’s revitalization. With its inspiring educational experiences and a rooftop showcasing breathtaking city views, it embodies the very best of Seattle while pointing toward an exciting future.”
“Having known Meg for nearly a decade, I have seen firsthand her passion and dedication, making it especially meaningful for the Port of Seattle to continue its partnership with the Seattle Aquarium under her leadership. Rooted in shared values of marine conservation and education, this work reflects not just a collaboration, but a shared commitment to caring for our waters for generations to come.”
“I’ve worked closely with the Seattle Aquarium for years, including alongside former President and CEO Bob Davidson on the Inspire Washington Board of Trustees. Thanks to Meg’s leadership, expanded waterfront programming is reaching new audiences and broadening access to science—an effort that plays a vital role in strengthening our communities. We are excited to work with her in support of Seattle Aquarium’s education and conservation mission.”
About the Seattle Aquarium:
Founded in 1977, the Seattle Aquarium is a marine conservation organization working to regenerate the health of Earth’s one ocean. We work among global leaders to advance animal wellbeing, marine and ecosystem science, public policy, field conservation, education, and species recovery programs that benefit the ocean. Help support the Aquarium’s mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment.
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