Chad Fifer named new Aquarium of Niagara president and CEO

Rob Creenan, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·2 min read

May 1—The Aquarium of Niagara has announced Chad Fifer will take over as its new president and CEO on June 17.

"When we began our national search, we were looking for a candidate with the right mix of leadership, fundraising and animal care experience," said Christine Lorenz, the Niagara Aquarium Foundation Board of Trustees chair. "As a board, we are confident that Chad is the right leader to build on the Aquarium's current momentum while positioning the organization for continued growth into the future."

Fifer brings more than 25 years of experience working at different zoos and museums across the country. He comes to Niagara Falls having previously worked as the CEO of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and Sunwatch Native American Village in Dayton, Ohio. He was also the director of education for the Nashville Zoo and worked at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Zoo Knoxville, Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee as well as Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida.

"This is an amazing opportunity to lead a strong team responsible for such a vibrant and growing cultural institution like the Aquarium of Niagara," Fifer said.

The search committee received more than 140 applications when the process began in February, according to Director of Communications Christine Stephans. They used Career Partners International to help with recruiting, with the committee interviewing candidates between February and April before making the final offer last week.

Fifer joins as the aquarium plans to open a new expansion, the $5 million Great Lakes 360 Center, in the former Niagara Gorge Discovery Center later this year. The $18 million expansion at 535 and 579 Second St. is also in the works.

The institution is also going through the accreditation process with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which Fifer has guided previous institutions through such inspections.

Tracie Schafer, the aquarium's vice president of finance and administration, served in the interim role since Feb. 1, having taken it on after the previous President and CEO Gary Siddall left for the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences.