UPFRONT PLACES | PERSPECTIVES | HAPPENINGS
Q + A
Glenn Gray , CEO of Pacific Marine Mammal Center
A Project for the Pinnipeds
PACIFIC MARINE MAMMAL CENTER CEO GLENN GRAY TALKS ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION ’ S EXPANSION PROJECT , PLANS TO SAVE WATER AND FUTURE GOALS .
By SHARON STELLO
An aerial rendering of Pacific Marine Mammal Center ’ s expansion project
A fter celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021 , the Pacific Marine Mammal Center is looking to the future with a $ 14 million expansion project that will provide additional space needed at the nonprofit ’ s Laguna Canyon site . Groundbreaking took place March 1 and construction — to be completed in phases — is expected to be done in December 2024 .
This project will add more pools , increasing capacity for pinniped patients , especially during periods when conditions become dire for marine mammals and occupancy can spike to quadruple its normal numbers ; double the area for educational programs , which already serve 35,000 students per year ; and also add a cutting-edge treatment room for surgeries and other procedures .
Glenn Gray , who became CEO almost a year ago after serving on the organization ’ s board of directors for five years , is helping to usher the PMMC through this momentous undertaking that will also allow the center to recycle 5 million gallons of water per year . Gray , a former banking executive with more than four decades of experience in commercial lending and specialty finance , most recently served as CEO of Orange County-based CalWest Bank .
Although he ’ s been involved with several nonprofits through the years , Gray developed a particular affinity for the PMMC , which rescues sick and injured seals and sea lions , as well as abandoned pups , then treats and releases them back to the ocean . Here , Gray talks about what drew him to the position as well as the expansion project ’ s details and his goals for helming the center .
LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE : Can you tell us about the expansion project and what it entails ? GLENN GRAY : Our project will add much needed space in our hospital and education classroom , plus we will add a new water reclamation facility , three additional pools and a building shared with the [ city ’ s ] Animal Shelter [ next door ].
LBM : As the second largest consumer of water in Laguna Beach , why is it important to the center to complete this project that , in part , will allow it to recycle water ? GG : It is vitally important for PMMC to lead by example regarding water conservation . Not only will we save a
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