Behind the Scenes at the Georgia Aquarium and How Older Volunteers Become New Employees - An Alternative Pathway for Water Professionals to Pursue their Passion for Oceans!

As the only Black Woman VP at the Georgia Aquarium, Camille is conscious of the diverse needs of current and prospective employees as well as the communities this educational and scientific organization serves.

The Georgia Aquarium serves society not just by efforts to turn their public visitors into stewards of oceans and aquatic life, but also through their extensive scientific research and policy development efforts - requiring water professionals from many disciplines.

Camille and Dr. Cat discuss the challenges when many public sector and government contracting organizations will not allow people to volunteer, or restrict opportunities to volunteer or hold paid intern positions to university students. They explore the opportunities for women water professionals to re-enter the workforce through their volunteer programs, which has brought several new hires to the Aquarium. These programs provide an opportunity for volunteers to find the right fit and decide whether they are ready to turn their passion into a permanent position. Once volunteers have shown what they can do, it becomes easier to seek funding to pay them. Camille discusses how the Aquarium has benefitted from hiring older employees who began as volunteers pursuing their passion for ocean life!