After nearly 15 years as President and CEO of the National Aquarium, John Racanelli is planning to “pass the baton.”
Racanelli, 70, announced on Thursday that he intends to retire by the end of the year. As part of a planned leadership transition, Senior Vice President and Chief Mission Officer Jennifer Driban will become interim president and CEO upon Racanelli’s departure. The Board of Directors has begun a national search for the organization’s next president and CEO, led by a committee of board members and external experts.
The National Aquarium, which opened on Inner Harbor Pier 3 in 1981 and has been expanded several times, is one of the state’s leading tourist destinations and a major contributor to Baltimore’s downtown vitality, drawing more than one million visitors a year.
Racanelli, who became President and CEO in 2011, is the latest of several longtime leaders of city cultural institutions and organizations to step down, including the heads of the American Visionary Art Museum, the Walters Art Museum and Visit Baltimore.
“My years at the National Aquarium have been among the most fulfilling of my career,” Racanelli said in a statement. “Together, we’ve transformed the organization into a model for advancing conservation, animal welfare and community engagement. With strong leadership in place and a clear vision for the future, this is the right moment to pass the baton.”
During Racanelli’s tenure, the National Aquarium introduced several signature exhibits and projects that redefined the guest experience and advanced the organization’s mission to inspire compassion and care for the ocean planet. These include Dolphin Discovery (2012), Blacktip Reef (2013), Living Seashore (2015), the Animal Care and Rescue Center (2018), replacement of the glass panes in the rooftop pyramid that encloses the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit (2022) and Harbor Wetland (2024). The projects were part of a series of capital and sustainability improvements that strengthened the Aquarium’s position as an industry leader.
Racanelli also led the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping ensure the Aquarium’s continued success as one of Maryland’s top economic drivers, and launched a search for an off-site “sanctuary” for the aquarium’s Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, currently housed in the Marine Mammal Pavilion on Pier 4.
During his tenure, Racanelli and the National Aquarium earned numerous awards and distinctions, including recognition from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for world-class exhibits, conservation innovation and sustainability programs. Designed by Peter Chermayeff of Cambridge Seven Associates and others, it is consistently ranked one of the nation’s top aquariums. Its success played a part in inspiring numerous other cities to build aquatic museums, just as the success of Oriole Park at Camden Yards sparked a trend in construction of site-specific urban ballparks.
“John’s impact on the National Aquarium and the greater Baltimore community cannot be overstated,” said Colleen Dilenschneider, chair of the National Aquarium’s Board of Directors and Founder and Managing Member of IMPACTS Experience, in a statement.
“He brought a visionary approach to leadership that elevated our mission, strengthened our team, and positioned the Aquarium as a leading force for environmental stewardship. We are deeply grateful for his years of service and his unwavering commitment to our organization and its future.”
