Elections - Lauren Freeman
I first started working at The Florida Aquarium in 2004 after graduating from The University of Tampa. What first started out as a part time, twice a month job, has turned into quite an adventure! In 2007 I was hired on full time to help develop our expanding dive operations department. In 2008 I was promoted to Assistant Staff Dive Supervisor. As I'm sure you all can relate my duties vary from day to day - which I love. You never know what you're going to be asked to do on any given day - Burp a 200 lb goliath grouper, be a diving elf on NATIONAL TV, organize and coordinate a mer-pod, and of course who can forget the Scrub King!
Having grown up in Colorado I actually didn't start diving until I got to sunny Florida in 2000 and received my Dive Master certification in 2003. I completed my NAUI Instructor course in 2008 and Tech Certification in 2010. I was introduced to the ADPA in 2009 and have had the pleasure of attending a few symposiums and networking with many dive program administrators.
There were a couple of years where I too suffered through the "office environment" as an administrative assistant and picked up some skills that could definitely come in handy as a Membership Director. I'm proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc. As far as organization skills - well I've managed to keep The Florida Aquarium DSO posse organized. Not an easy task :
I feel that I have the skills necessary to keep the membership database up to date and in smooth working order. I hope to also increase the number of members in the ADPA and spread the word about our organization. I have found the group to be an extremely valuable asset and would love to share our wealth of knowledge to other dive program administrators. I not only feel that I can be of value to the board but that being a part of the Board of Directors would also greatly enhance my personal growth as a Dive Safety Officer.