Thad Lacinak
 As Vice President and Corporate Curator of Animal Training for Busch Entertainment Corporation, Thad directed animal training and enrichment at five BEC parks including SeaWorld Orlando, SeaWorld San Antonio, SeaWorld San Diego, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens Tampa, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Thad oversaw and coordinated the efforts of over 450 animal trainers and keepers at these parks across the country. Lacinak was instrumental in developing Sea World’s and Busch Garden’s industry-leading behavior and training techniques, husbandry procedures, and spectacular killer whale show behaviors. He is frequently called upon by zoological facilities worldwide to consult on particularly challenging behavior modification issues.
With over 34 years of marine mammal and zoological training experience, Thad has trained over 100 species of animals. He has conditioned marine mammals, terrestrial and avian species for husbandry, performance, public display and education. Thad was also instrumental in the implementation of the Busch Gardens elephant program transition from free contact to a protected contact system. In the past 15 years, Thad has traveled around the US and internationally presenting animal training seminars specializing in aggression, agility, obedience, and many other areas in the use of operant conditioning for behavior modification.
In 2001, Thad was the co-author of a national best selling book, Whale Done, with Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) and Chuck Tompkins. For the past five years, he has been presenting “Whale Done” key note speeches and seminars to major corporations in the US and abroad explaining the Whale Done process.
Thad is currently a Partner at Ocean Embassy, Inc., managing international project development and consulting, conducting instructional seminars, and continuing his work to advance animal behavior modification techniques within the zoological community.
Lacinak is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the International Marine Animal Trainers Association where he was Vice President 1986, the Society for Marine Mammalogy, the Association for Behavior Analysis, and he was co-founder and president of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Hearing and Service Dog organization.
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Ted Turner
 Ted Turner is a Partner at Ocean Embassy, Inc., a marine life education and program development organization that promotes further understanding of our ocean’s treasures. He is also a nationally known Animal Behaviorist giving animal learning seminars around the world from Alaska to Australia. His 30 years of animal management experience includes extensive work with marine mammals, terrestrial mammals and birds. He conducts clinics for professional dog trainers, horse trainers, veterinarians and zoo professionals and specializes in severe behavior problems. Ted has published a number of scientific articles and produced both video and audio programs for beginning and advanced animal trainers. He worked for SeaWorld for over 20 years and has a wide range of marine park operations experience. Ted served as Vice President for SeaWorld Cleveland for nine years, and consults with many zoos and aquariums on animal behavior issues, interactive exhibit design, show production, staff training and business development.
In 1997 he was elected President of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association where he received numerous animal training awards. Ted served on the Board of Editors for the journal Marine Mammals: Public Display and Research. His most recent book chapter on marine mammal training, The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, was published by Academic Press in June of 2001, with a second edition in-press. He continues to co-author articles that champion enrichment programs, behavioral medicine, and learning principles for zoological parks. These programs emphasize learning principles that improve quality of life for individual animals (Second Nature: Environmental Enrichment for Captive Animals, [1998] Smithsonian). He was appointed as a delegate to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Geneva, Switzerland, and has co-authored marine mammal protection legislation of various governments.
Ted has produced a number of successful dolphin interactive programs, which bring people closer to animals and enhance awareness of wildlife conservation. He has trained and performed in hundreds of animal shows and has trained animals for television and movie segments. He has appeared on CNN’s Science and Technology involving the use of lexigrams for teaching killer whales, 20/20 with Hugh Downs on the first captive killer whale birth and development and most recently, he appeared on Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures, filming killer whales in Alaska.
Ted is a graduate of the University of Central Florida, a US Air Force veteran and is a professional member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association. Most importantly, he is the father of three outstanding children.
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Angi Millwood
 As a Partner, Angi is responsible for leading Embassy 180, a division of Ocean Embassy, Inc., focused on zoological consulting and positive reinforcement based seminars directed at improving the lives of people and the animals in their care. In this role, Angi manages the design and implementation of consulting services offered as well as writing and instructing courses.
Prior to her position at Ocean Embassy, Angi held positions at several top-ranked animal facilities, filling a variety of roles. Her most recent adventure took her overseas to Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, where Angi served as Manager of Marine Mammals, responsible for the daily care and training of 28 Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins as well as staff development. Before venturing into the world of marine mammals, Angi held the position of Director of Behavior Programs at Natural Encounters, Inc. (NEI), responsible for overseeing the growth and development of behavioral husbandry contracts in zoological facilities as well as coordinating all animal training workshops. Prior to work at NEI, Angi was the Animal Training Coordinator at the Fort Worth Zoo, responsible for the Zoo’s animal training programs for more than 350 animal species. She was also a member of the Disney’s Animal Kingdom Opening Team. Earlier in her career, Angi also held positions as Field Researcher, Education Specialist, Animal Keeper and Veterinary Technician.
Angi is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) as well as a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). In addition to her ongoing role as Column Editor for the ABMA publication, Wellspring, she also Chaired the 2008 Conference Committee. Angi has conducted numerous workshops for national and international zoo staff as well as college students and business professionals. She has recently served as a Course Instructor for two AZA professional courses: Animal Training Applications in Zoo and Aquarium Settings and Meeting Your Institutional Goals through Program Animals. She is a graduate of Jacksonville State University with a double major in Theatre and English.
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Alyssa Simmons
Alyssa Simmons is a Partner at Ocean Embassy, Inc., a dream team of highly experienced marine and zoological industry professionals with a common vision to further animal welfare and ocean conservation through innovative interactive programs, human and animal behavior education programs, benchmark facility development, field research and consulting. Her 18 years of animal management experience includes extensive work with killer whales, beluga whales, and dolphins. She also has a wide range of experience in managing and motivating people in a dynamic team atmosphere.
 Alyssa worked for SeaWorld for 15 years, training killer whales, performing in hundreds of shows, and leading a team of over 20 trainers to safely implement scientifically sound behavior training techniques in shows and training sessions. As a behaviorist, she specialized in killer whale calf training and development as well as socializing groups and individual whales for team performances. She developed, piloted, and implemented several marine mammal interactive programs designed to inspire a closer connection between the public and the precious marine life we intend to conserve.
She has presented numerous seminars on selected topics concerning human management, team building, animal training techniques, and animal husbandry. Audiences for these seminars and workshops include International Marine Animal Trainers Association, police canine units, government organizations, international corporations, veterinary professionals, and primary and secondary school groups. She is a presenter of the “Whale Done!” approach to management and team building, a Ken Blanchard endorsed program.
With a degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications from the University of Texas, Alyssa has always been a key figure for public and media relations for SeaWorld and Ocean Embassy. She has appeared in several nationally aired children’s television programs including “Shamu TV,” “Skunked,” and “Captain Kangaroo.” She has trained animals for filming in Imax and National Geographic productions, and for high profile SCUBA and underwater filming. She has been a principal subject in international documentary programs and has given numerous interviews for print, radio, and television broadcasts in the US and abroad.
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Todd Feucht
 Todd Feucht is a zoological professional with over 17 years of specialized marine mammal management and business development experience. Mr. Feucht began his career with Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC) in 1990 at SeaWorld Cleveland and developed a comprehensive knowledge of advanced behavior modification techniques, aggression management and behavioral medicine. He has held supervisory positions with both SeaWorld Cleveland and SeaWorld Orlando where he was responsible for animal management, show production and quality, staff management, staff development, safety and guest interactive programs. During his tenure with SeaWorld, Feucht was involved with the training and management of killer whales (Orcinus orca), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorynchus obliquidens), Commerson’s dolphins (Cephalorhynchus commersonii), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates), false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), and California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus). While with SeaWorld, he was also involved with numerous complex and high profile animal transports with a variety of animal species, including killer whales, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Commerson’s dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins.
In 1998, Mr. Feucht was recruited by Sea Life Park Hawaii to design and implement their first and only fully submersive dolphin swim experience (Dolphin Adventure), a highly successful interactive program. While in Hawaii, Feucht also led the development of program design, product improvement and behavioral protocols for the dolphin interaction program at the Kahala Manderin Oriental Hotel, located on Oahu.
Mr. Feucht has been involved with many other aspects of marine mammal animal management including field work, facility design, program feasibility and marine mammal research/data collection. He has been an invited speaker at animal behavior seminars throughout the United States and Europe, including recent workshops in Munich, Vienna and Switzerland. Further, he has helped develop marine mammal protection legislation for numerous foreign governments. Mr. Feucht currently is a Partner at Ocean Embassy, Inc. and Wildlife International Network, Inc. and is a Professional member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA).
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