Loggerhead Marinelife Center Announces New President & CEO, Jack Lighton

Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s (LMC) board of directors has unanimously appointed Jack Lighton as President and CEO of the sea turtle research and rehabilitation center.

“Jack is a long-standing passionate supporter of LMC and a former Board member. His global management expertise, along with his love for sea turtles, education and conservation, will provide significant resources to the entire Loggerhead Marinelife Center team,” said Brian Waxman, Chairman of the center’s board.

Mr. Lighton will be responsible for the not-for-profit center’s strategy, committees, donor development, capital campaigns, finance, research/rehab and operations, including LMC’s large and growing educational and volunteer arms.

“Loggerhead Marinelife Center has been a part of my life as long as I can remember,” Mr. Lighton said. “It has been exciting for me to be a supporter of the center as it has grown.”

Mr. Lighton most recently worked 10 years as Senior Vice President of Global Client Services at Harris Interactive Inc., which conducts The Harris Poll and is one of the world’s largest custom market research and management consulting firms. Prior to joining Harris Interactive, he was a manager and founding team member of J.D. Power and Associate’s Recreation and Financial Services Practices.

“Loggerhead Marinelife Center is one of the most visited cultural attractions in Palm Beach County,” Mr. Lighton said. “More than 215,000 people come each year to our incredible beachside campus to learn about our work in protecting the endangered sea turtles that come to our shores.”

The Juno Beach veterinary and hospital staff rehabilitated literally thousands of sick and injured sea turtles over the 30 years since the museum that became Loggerhead Marinelife Center was founded. The center’s research biologists monitor one of the most prolific sea turtle nesting beaches in the world. The 2012 nesting season marked the highest nesting number in the center’s 22 years of monitoring.

“I am delighted to work with one of the most advanced sea turtle research teams on our planet,” said Mr. Lighton. “I look forward to being an integral part in Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s next chapter and I look forward to raising the visibility of our center locally, nationally and internationally.”