Dave Liam Johnston

Dave Johnston has worked in the zoo and aquarium industry for more than 25 years, specialising in conservation education. In his role as director of professional development for the Wildlife Conservation Society, he leads the professional learning programmes, overseeing all of WCS’s teacher education, higher education, and education staff learning efforts across all five WCS sites in New York City.

Through these efforts, the Wildlife Conservation Society reaches more than 1,200 professionals annually, introducing research-driven best practices in professional learning in zoos and aquariums.

In his role at WCS, he oversees the organisation’s efforts in the Urban Advantage (UA) Program, a 20-plus-year teacher education initiative offered through the New York City Public Schools in partnership with six other leading science institutions in NYC. He also oversees WCS’s school partnership programme, partnering with more than 50 public schools in NYC to offer teacher, student and family-facing programming to local communities.

Outside of his work with WCS, Johnston sits on the board of directors for the International Zoo Educators Association, where he is the membership coordinator, co-chairing the Professional Development Committee and overseeing the Job Experience Program, an international job exchange program for zoo and aquarium educators. He also sits on the instructional team for the conservation learning leadership course offered through AZA's Professional Development Team, and is the expert-in-residence in conservation education for Conservation Careers.