Leadership

Texas State Aquarium Facility Leaders

  • Jesse Gilbert

    President and CEO

  • Julio Flores, Jr., CPA

    Senior Vice President of Business Operations & Chief Financial Officer

  • Jennifer Vela

    Chief Government Affairs & Marketing Officer

  • Justin Sefcik

    Chief Operating Officer

  • Cheryl Wolfe, CPA

    Director of Finance

  • Emma Gilbert

    Director of Animal Care

  • Jeff Vlach

    Director of Information Technology

  • Kara Hahn

    Director of Aquarium Operations

  • Nicole Andrade, SHRM-SCP

    Director of Administration and Human Resources

  • Nicole Gaertner

    Director of Education

2025 Board of Trustees

The Texas State Aquarium is honored to have the following members of our community serve on our Board of Trustees: 

Executive Committee

Catherine Hilliard, Board Chair
Dr. Osbert Blow, Board Vice Chair
Stephen Raffaele, Board Secretary
Darcy Schroeder, Board Past Chair
Patt Hawn Wallace, Board Treasurer

Trustees

Rajan Ahuja
Matt Barr
Elizabeth Chu Richter
Ben Donnell
Dr. Bryan Gulley
Rob Hall
Joe Henkel
Charlie Hicks
Amanda Hinojosa
Christina Hunter Villeda
Aleisha Kolb
Mark LaRue
Lindsey Lomax
Nelda Martinez
Dr. Larry McKinney
Dr. Kelly Miller
Jyoti Patel
Jeff Pollack
Mary Polson
Mike Pusley
Loren Rock
Andy Saenz
Keleigh Sasser
Wayne Squires
Kristen Sterett
Judith Talavera
Anne Thurwalker
Rhodes “Chip” Urban

Trustee Emeritus

R.C. Allen
Charles C. Butt
Thomas E. Dobson
John F. Dorn
Judith Hawley
Bruce Hawn
Gloria Hicks
Bill Maxwell, Jr.
Julie McNeil
J. Ted Oakley
Celika Storm
Rich D. Tuttle
Larry Urban
Charlie Zahn, Jr.
Arthur W. Zeitler

Advisory

Sam L. Susser
Donna Lawson

Friends of TSA

Mark Meyer
Larry Meyers
Nathan Taggart

 

Institute for Wildlife Conservation

Trustees

Catherine Hilliard, Chair
Dr. Osbert Blow, Vice Chair
Patt Hawn Wallace
Keleigh Sasser
Charlie Zahn, Jr.

  • Past Presidents

    1978-81   Arthur W. Zeitler/Lillian A. Murray
    1981-82   Lillian A. Murray
    1982-83   Arthur W. Zeitler
    1983-84   Paula Butt
    1984-85   Elinor Donnel
    1985-89   John F. Dorn
    1989-90   Thomas V. Shockley, III
    1990-91   Luther Jones
    1991-92   Stephen W. Sullivan
    1992-93   Gary Miglicco
    1993-94   Charles Wade
    1994-95   Gloria Hicks
    1995-96   Paul Pearson, III
    1996-97   Gene Urban
    1997-98   R. B. “Randy” Cutlip
    1998-99   Sylvia A. Whitmore
    1999-01   Thomas R. “Tom” Dobson
    2001-02   R. Scott Heitkamp
    2002-03 Thomas Dobson
    2003-04   Mark Meyer
    2004-05   Eddie L. Garcia
    2005-07   Bruce Hawn
    2008-09   Rich D. Tuttle
    2009-11   Judy Hawley
    2011-12   Lee Jordan
    2013-14  Deneece Squires
    2015-2016 Larry Urban
    2017-2018 Rob Hall
    2019-2020 Julie Buckley
    2021-2022 Charlie Zahn, Jr.
    2023-2024 Darcy Schroeder