1. Jennifer P. Meeks
97 Mount Holly Lane • Amelia, Ohio 45102 • 513-288-0273 • jenmeeks0273@gmail.com
DIVE SAFETY OFFICER EXPERIENCE
Responsible for overseeing all diving operations at the Newport Aquarium, including:
• Training, certification, and evaluation of paid and volunteer divers
• Interview, hire, and train assistant dive safety officers
• Ensure all dive operations are conducted in accordance with OSHA and AZA regulations
• Maintenance of all diving records including daily dive logs, training records, and equipment
maintenance logs in accordance with OSHA and AZA
• Write, edit, and maintain the corporate Dive Safety Manual, ensuring compliance with cur-
rent OSHA commercial diving regulations
• Maintain open communication with Husbandry and Life Systems Support and develop daily,
weekly, and monthly dive plans in accordance with their needs
• Evaluate diver skills for initial and ongoing qualification
• Develop and conduct site-specific rescue training and evaluate diver performance
• Plan and conduct diver emergency drills, evaluate staff performance, and make recommenda-
tions for improvements
• Select, purchase, and maintain dive equipment including SCUBA gear, diver communication
equipment, and underwater tools as needed for a variety of diving conditions, including cold
water
• Maintain current equipment technician certifications and stay current on industry trends and
best practices
• Write training manuals, internal policies/procedures, newsletters, and scripts for live presen-
tations and training videos
• Conduct volunteer diver interviews, selection, assessment of skills, orientation, training, eval-
uation, communication, record maintenance, and daily management and supervision
• Organize and lead dive trips for volunteers to North Carolina, the Georgia Aquarium and
Bonaire, N.A.
• Coordinate with multiple departments and develop dive plans for the production of Scuba
Santa® dive shows
• Facilitate mermaid shows in the Coral Reef Exhibit featuring the Weeki Wachee mermaids
• Participate in marketing commercial shoots and television spots, including live national cov-
erage
• Served on the Safety Committee for four years, facilitating meetings, conducting interdepart-
mental safety audits, and writing monthly safety topics and newsletter articles
• Train staff in First Aid/CPR/AED
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
• Made significant changes to existing dive policies, procedures, and equipment to improve
diver safety
• Developed and instituted diver emergency extraction procedures and training
• Wrote and directed the company diver emergency training video
• Experienced two AZA accreditation inspections
• Facilitated the acclimation of wild-caught bowmouth guitarfish, bonnethead sharks, cownose
stingrays, and scalloped hammerheads to the presence of divers
• Assist in the target training of bowmouth guitarfish and arapaima for the purpose of tactile
desensitization

2. • Tasked by corporate to lead the revision of the dive safety manual, ensuring consistency and
compliance with company standards, AZA, and OSHA regulations
• Delivered a presentation at the 2014 Association of Dive Program Administrators (ADPA) an-
nual symposium about my experience aligning our dive procedures and safety manual with
OSHA commercial diving standards 1910 Subpart T
• Recognized by corporate for dive safety manual, development of emergency procedures, and
overall safety record of the dive program. Newport Aquarium has ranked first in safety across
all Herschend Family Entertainment properties five years in a row.
ADDITIONAL SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Safety Management experience acquired during 11 years as the Dive Safety Officer at the
Newport Aquarium. Made significant procedural changes to the dive program to maintain the
safety of over 100 volunteer and staff divers. Established emergency procedures and training
programs. Facilitated company safety committee, produced safety newsletter, performed
equipment inspections, and conducted accident investigations, risk assessments, performance
audits, and live-action drills. Completed OSHA 30 General Industry Training and studied inde-
pendently for the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) examination.
Project Management skills developed over 11 years of producing the Newport Aquarium’s
Scuba Santa® shows. Established and maintained communication across all departments in-
volved in production, including divers, husbandry, engineering, retail, sales, marketing, and
operations. Determined the scope of a project and established a time frame and required re-
sources. Responsible for managing related activities and events in addition to the regular six-
week show schedule, including rehearsals, media and marketing shoots, private events, and the
management of underwater sets, props, and costumes. The Newport Aquarium’s Scuba San-
ta® shows have received national acclaim, appearing in The New York Times and on Good
Morning America and The Today Show.
Management skills acquired during 11 years as the Dive Safety Officer at the Newport
Aquarium. Responsible for hiring, training, and managing more than 100 volunteer and staff
divers. Skilled at motivating, influencing, and educating a wide variety of ages, cultural back-
grounds, and personalities.
Public Speaking skills refined over 20 years of delivering educational presentations to au-
diences of every size and age range at the Cincinnati Zoo and the Newport Aquarium. Spoken
to small groups of preschoolers, given lectures to high school students, delivered presentations
to theater-size venues, and performed on-camera interviews for local news stations. Performed
career talks for scout groups at the Newport Aquarium and delivered PowerPoint presentations
for Newport schools and the Association of Dive Program Administrators (ADPA) annual sym-
posium.
Teaching experience developed in a variety of non-academic environments. Taught ecology
to people of all ages at the Cincinnati Zoo, Green Acres Nature Preserve, and the Newport
Aquarium. Developed training guides for the Newport Aquarium dive program. Trained New-
port Aquarium staff and volunteers in First Aid, CPR, and AED use. Trained and certified stu-
dents in SCUBA diving, including physics, physiology, and decompression tables. Trained vol-
unteer divers how to dive aquarium exhibits, interact with animals and guests, follow safety
protocols, perform emergency procedures, and operate equipment.
Editorial expertise developed during achievement of a B.A. in English from the University
of Cincinnati. Experienced in procedural and instructional writing for manuals, standard op-
erating procedures, and training materials. Conducted interviews, procured artwork, wrote,

3. and used knowledge of AP and house styles to proofread editorial copy for Reach Publishing.
Wrote and edited corporate policy manuals, safety protocols, newsletters, and training materi-
als for the Newport Aquarium. Ensured all documents adhered to corporate standards and
government specifications for safety. Skilled at conveying complex instructions in a clear and
concise manner.
Graphic Design skills acquired during employment with Community Directory Services us-
ing InDesign to create templates and ad layouts for phone book covers. As an editorial as-
sistant for Reach USA’s specialty publications, used Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark to make
editors’ corrections to both advertising and editorial layouts. Also ensured all files adhered to
house style and press specifications. Skills kept current manipulating photos and artwork for
print, online, and web applications.
Computer skills include both PC and Mac platforms. Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, includ-
ing Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Experienced applying styles, using templates, and
creating and editing complex documents. Experienced working with Adobe Creative Design
Suite. Familiar with social media. Quick to learn new software and concepts.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Dive Safety Officer, Newport Aquarium, Herschend Family Entertainment
(September 2004 – current)
Responsible for overseeing all SCUBA diving operations, evaluating divers, managing
volunteers, developing training manuals, conducting training and assessments, pur-
chasing and maintaining equipment, and scheduling dives in accordance with the needs
of multiple departments. Write training manuals, internal policies/procedures,
newsletters, scripts for live presentations and training videos. Tasked by corporate to
lead the revision of the dive safety manual, ensuring consistency, compliance with
company standards, AZA, and OSHA regulations. Write and direct the company diver
emergency training video, serve on the safety committee, and keep the staff trained in
First Aid/CPR/AED. Collaborate with multiple departments to manage the production
of Scuba Santa® shows. Participate in marketing commercial shoots and television
spots, including live national coverage. Recognized by corporate for dive safety manu-
al, development of emergency procedures, and overall safety record of the dive pro-
gram. Newport Aquarium has ranked first in safety across all Herschend Family Enter-
tainment properties five years in a row.
Editorial Assistant, ReachUSA (June 2001 – June 2004)
Responsible for proofreading advertising and editorial copy, as well as using Quark and
Illustrator to make changes to the magazine layout. Also performed photo preparation
in Photoshop, such as color correction and clipping paths. Conduct interviews and
write editorial copy. Responsible for inventory of publications and managing electronic
files across shared network folders.
Naturalist, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (June 1994 – May 2001)
Worked for the Education Department in a variety of positions including exhibit inter-
preter, overnight program instructor, summer camp leader, and KinderZoo teacher. De-
livered environmental educational programs to children ranging from preschool to high
school. Also responsible for handling a variety of program animals such as snakes, small
alligators, insects, mammals, and birds.

4. Graphic Artist, Community Directory Services/Better Business Guide
(September 1999 – March 2005)
Created ad layouts for vinyl phone book covers, participating in the full life-cycle of
production. Worked with sales staff to ensure accuracy of ad copy and layout. De-
signed templates and layout using Adobe InDesign. Responsible for ensuring files met
project and press specifications.
EDUCATION
PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, 2006
Enriched Air Diver
Drysuit Diver
Emergency First Responder Instructor, 2007
First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor, American Red Cross, 2010
OSHA 30 Hour General Industry Training, 2013
Interspiro Full Face Dive Mask Technician, Ocean Technology Systems, 2013
Authorized Mares Scuba Regulator Service Technician, 2014
Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, University of Cincinnati, 1998
REFERENCES
Emily Margolen Crenner, Life Support Technician, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Rebecca Sprague, Water Quality Technician, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Louise Wiesner, Volunteer Diver, PADI Instructor, 859-816-4108, mermaid3476@aol.com
Mike Brittsan M.Sc., Curator, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, (614) 724-3580,
Mike.Brittsan@columbuszoo.org
View my LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jennifer-meeks/1a/54b/574