In recognition of her tireless career commitment to marine conservation
regionally and nationally, Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Julie Packard was honored with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) at its annual Leadership Awards Dinner held June 8 in Washington, DC.

The event is part of the ninth Capitol Hill Ocean Week (CHOW), DC's premier oceans-focused annual conference held in conjunction with U.N. World Oceans Day. Both CHOW and the awards dinner are hosted and produced by NMSF, a private non-profit organization supporting the network of 14 federal marine protected areas within the United States.

Ms. Packard was presented with a whale tail sculpture created by Santa Barbara artist James "Bud" Bottoms of the Dolphin Family Studio. Her career and dedication was recalled through a video that features the extensive achievements of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and a testimonial by her friend and colleague, Rep. Sam Farr (CA-17). It details how she helped found the popular institution, the nation's first major public aquarium focused on a single region, and has served as its Executive Director since it opened in 1984. NMSF also recognized her commitment to ocean conservation and her work shaping the nation's ocean policies through other channels, including her work with the Pew Oceans Commissions and Joint Ocean Commission Initiative.

Other honorees at the Dinner included Congresswomen Lois Capps (CA-23) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), who were presented with "Leadership Awards," as well as the NMSF "Volunteer of the Year," Steve Kroll of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan.

Participants at CHOW and the Dinner included Members of Congress and Congressional staff; federal, state, and local government officials; educators; researchers; authors; industry executives; and leaders within the conservation community.

On June 8, for the second year in a row, New York City's iconic Empire State Building was lit in purple, blue, and white in recognition of World Oceans Day.

Watch Julie Packard's acceptance speech:

About the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the National Marine Sanctuaries:
The National Marine Sanctuary System represents America's underwater national treasures: a coast-to-coast network of 13 federally designated sanctuaries and one marine national monument, encompassing over 150,000 square miles in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Great Lakes. The Foundation was created in 2000 to help preserve, protect, and promote these Sanctuaries. Through public and private sector partnerships, it fosters conservation-based research and education and outreach programs designed to connect the American public with these unique marine environments.

Lead sponsors for LAD 2010 include: Waitt Foundation, Center for Ocean Solutions, Constellation Energy, Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation, Monterey Bay Aquarium, National Geographic Society, The Ocean Foundation, Pacific Life, Sea Research Foundation, and U.S. Regional Fishery Management Councils.

Photos by Jaime Windon | Blonde Photo

Contact:
Sarah van Schagen
Communications and Outreach Manager
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
email
301-608-3040 x5

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