User:Kotlerthebaker/sandbox

Roger Germann is an American political appointee and businessman who runs the Florida Aquarium.

Education and early career
Germann attended Osceola High School in Seminole, Florida. After high school he attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1991. After graduating from college, he began his career as a TV writer and producer. His work includes the TV series America's Funniest People. After TV, he worked in politics, working for the Illinois state treasurer and other elected officials. In 2015, he joined the UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Board of Visitors.

Florida Aquarium and Shedd Aquarium
In June 2017, the Florida Aquarium hired Germann to serve as its president and CEO. He is transforming the Florida Aquarium into a national and international player. Prior to the Florida Aquarium, Germann was the executive vice president of the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago for 16 years. While at the Shedd Aquarium, he was ran the aquarium's "largest bi-national conservation program focused on Great Lakes science, action and awareness." While he was an executive at the Shedd Aquarium, Germann helped grow annual attendance to two million visitors. The aquarium’s operating budget grew from $27 million to $58 million during his tenure. According to the Florida Aquarium, "That financial success enabled Shedd to expand its environmental mission."

Great Lakes Advisory Board
In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Germann to serve on the Great Lakes Advisory Board. At the board, Germann made environmental recommendations to the chief of the Environmental Protection Agency. The U.S. EPA Great Lakes National Program Office is a federal government body that coordinates efforts with Canada to restore and maintain the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem.

Personal
Germann is also a published writer, writing a blog for the Huffington Post about the Great Lakes. Chicago is his hometown.