7 minute read
New & Noteworthy
Shark Discovery Opens at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
[New Orleans] Shark Discovery, the new 13,000-gallon shark and ray touchpool, opens at Audubon Aquarium Friday, July 2, 2021.
The new pool measures approximately 60-feet-long by 16-feet at its widest point--six times the size of the previous stingray touchpool at the Aquarium. A massive interactive LED screen running the entire length of the pool features a variety of sharks, rays, and fish to highlight the diversity of the ocean.
he habitat will be home to a number of shark and ray species, including white spotted bamboo shark, epaulette shark, southern stingray, coral cat shark, bullnose ray, bluespotted stingray, and cownose stingray.
Habitat STW names new President & CEO
[St. Tammany Parish] Habitat STW names current Vice President of Homeowner Services, Terri Gage, as the new President and CEO. Gage has served Habitat STW for 18 years in various roles. She first was Family Services and Volunteer Coordinator and led the growth of the Family Services Department into a professional homeowner services department providing homebuyer education and counseling by certified staff. For the last 11 years as VP of Homeowner Services, she has worked closely with outgoing CEO, Jeff St. Romain, and the full management team to plan and carry out initiatives to grow and improve the services offered by Habitat STW. Gage led the creation of the St. Tammany Homeownership Center, which became HUD certified last year, to offer homebuyer education and counseling services to the broader low-tomoderate income community to qualify for other affordable loans outside of the Habitat for Humanity program. Habitat STW is the only HUD certified agency in the parish.
St. Romain says of Gage, “During her 18 years at Habitat STW, Terri has demonstrated her passion for our mission and her deep understanding of the people we serve. I am retiring knowing that the affiliate is in great hands.”
Gage takes on her new role July 1st.
Slidell Memorial Hospital selects Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Financial Officer
[Slidell] Slidell Memorial Hospital (SMH) has selected Kimberly Walker as Chief Nursing Officer and Patrick Bolander as Chief Financial Officer.
In the role of Chief Nursing Officer, Walker will manage SMH’s nursing operations, including evaluations, strategy and implementation, care delivery and daily activities, in order to provide excellent service and quality care to all patients. Walker began her role on May 3.
Walker most recently served as the Chief Nursing Office since 2018 at St. Joseph Hospital in Tucson, Ariz. Under Walker’s leadership in Tucson, the hospital accomplished the implementation of a virtual patient sitter platform, reduction of overall nurse employee turnover, and developed a successful nursing shared governance program led by unit-based councils.
Walker earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Millersville University, as well as a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Phoenix, and she is currently enrolled in a Master of Business Administration program at Grand Canyon University.
Bolander stepped into this new role of Chief Financial Officer on March 1. Under terms of the Joint Operating Agreement between SMH and Ochsner Health, Bolander is now the CFO of the Slidell division, including SMH, Ochsner Medical Center – Northshore and related clinics and outpatient facilities. In this position, Bolanderwill report to Badinger.
Bolander most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at HighPoint Health Systems (LifePoint), a 4-hospital system in Gallatin, Tenn.
Bolander earned a Master of Business Administration degree from East Tennessee State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Indiana State University.
For more information, visit http://www.slidellmemorial.org/ . The hospital’s main phone number is (985) 280-2200.
St. Tammany Parish Library’s Summer Reading Challenge Kicks off Soon
[St.Tammany Parish] The St. Tammany Parish Library’s annual Summer Reading Challenge themed Tails & Tales, begins Friday, May 28th, with a simple goal: to encourage everyone to spend 20 minutes reading every day this summer. Tails & Tales is designed to give patrons of ALL ages the pick of the litter when it comes to “pawesome” summer reads and “fintastic” events and prizes.
The Summer Reading Challenge kicks off Friday, May 28, 2021 and continues through Saturday August 7, 2021. Throughout this time, readers of all ages can visit the Library Summer Reading page here and click on the Tails & Tales icon to create an account in our challenge tracking program Beanstack. Beanstack tracks your minutes and then awards one point for each minute spent reading. Earn 720 points to complete the Summer Reading Challenge and win prizes. This year the St. Tammany Parish Library presents a community challenge. We are asking all St. Tammany Parish residents to show their love of reading by working towards the goal of 250,000 collective minutes. Everything counts — books, magazines, graphic novels, and audiobooks. You can download the Beanstack app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
In addition to our annual Summer Reading Challenge, the Library is excited to present free, fun events for all age groups throughout the summer. While all library programs are free and open to the public, online registration is required for each virtual event by visiting the Library’s calendar of events.
For more information on the St. Tammany Parish Summer Reading Challenge or other Library programs, call your local branch, check the calendar of events or contact Children’s Services Coordinator Jenny Mayer at 985-893-6280 ext. 2017, Teen Services Coordinator Jennifer Rifino at 985-626-9779 ext. 3004, or Adult Programming Coordinator Jillian Boudreaux at 985-893-6280 ext. 2010.
Tickets Now on Sale for Cool Zoo at Audubon Zoo
[New Orleans] Tickets are now on sale for Cool Zoo and the Gator Run lazy river, Audubon Zoo's popular water attractions. They open for the 2021 season on Wednesday, June 16.
Regular admission to Cool Zoo, which includes Gator Run, is $8 for Audubon Nature Institute Members and $10 for non-Members in addition to Audubon Zoo admission. Cool Zoo tickets must be purchased online.
"Unlike in years past, Audubon will offer two sessions each day for guests to enjoy Cool Zoo," said Audubon Nature Institute Vice President of Guest Services Daine Appleberry. "These two daily sessions allow our team to manage capacity limitations, provide room for physical distancing, and comply with CDC guidelines."
The two sessions are 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. Cool Zoo will close at 1 p.m. each day to allow Audubon staff ample time to clean all shared equipment and surfaces between sessions.
Even with some operational changes, Cool Zoo still includes all its visitor-favorite features: the alligator water slide, the spider monkey soaker, water-spitting snakes, and shady spots for grownups. Back for its sixth year, the Gator Run lazy river offers Zoo visitors the option to cool down by floating atop an inner tube along a course that measures 750 feet in length. Three-feet-deep and 10-feet-wide, the lazy river features two sand beaches as well as water cannons that can be used to shower visitors as they float by.
Appleberry added, "We are very excited to welcome our guests back to Cool Zoo and once again offer them a way to stay cool while visiting the Zoo." Starting August 7, the water park will return to weekends only through Labor Day, September 6, when the water park will close for the 2021 season.
Submit your exciting news such as promotions, fundraising, announcements and press releases to jen@vipsocialmag.com
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