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01/28/2007: "New Director Of The Whale Museum"

Jenny L. Atkinson takes over from Dr. Rich Osborne as the director of the Whale Museum. Osborne will be moving to Port Angeles, but will continue as a participant in the Museum's Stranding Network and other research projects.

Atkinson comes to the Museum from the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center based in Nashville, Tenn. For more than six years, she was the special projects coordinator seeking to raise awareness of First Amendment issues and rights through programs, musical events and exhibits. Prior to that, she was the founding executive director of Leadership Brevard (a community leadership organization in operation since 1985) in Brevard County, Fla.

Atkinson is also a nature photographer who has had a long attachment to Southern Resident orcas, other marine mammals and the sea. She has been a long-time supporter of The Whale Museum's Orca Adoption Program. Atkinson began her tenure as director of The Whale Museum on Jan. 1, 2007.

Founded in 1979 by Mark Anderson and Ken Balcomb, The Whale Museum's mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research. In addition to providing exhibits, the Museum also provides programs including: the Orca Adoption Program, Soundwatch Boater Education, Marine Naturalist Training, San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline. The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.