Barnes moves to new role after 20 years at Pine Knoll Shores aquarium

PINE KNOLL SHORES — Jay Barnes may be retiring, but he’s not really leaving the N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

Barnes will soon be working in support of all three of the state’s aquariums as part of the North Carolina Aquarium Society, a nonprofit organization that provides support for exhibits, programs and development of the aquariums.

Barnes said he’ll take on his new duties as director of development for the Aquarium Society in December, a move that makes Friday’s departure as head of the Pine Knoll Shore facility easier to handle.

“It would be very different if I were going into a true retirement, but because I’m going to continue to stay involved through the Aquarium Society, I’m going to continue to interact with the people here,” he said. “So I’m saying good-bye but not really, and that softens the impact.”

Barnes has worked for the North Carolina Aquariums Division for nearly 30 years, with 20 of those years as director of the aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.

“I just think 20 years is a long time to do any one thing, and it’s time now for me to step down and let someone else come in with fresh ideas and a new perspective on this facility and keep things going,” he said.

But the decision to retire isn’t based on his years of service alone.

The aquarium has been in its new facility for three years now, and Barnes said he leaves knowing the aquarium is operating smoothly and confident in the abilities of the staff to keep things running at a high level.

“The expansion here was a huge task and a real team effort,” Barnes said. “It took everyone here on staff working long hours, seven days a week practically, for a long period to get everything ready. And then, once we opened our doors in May 2006, that’s when the fun really began because we had huge crowds the first year or two and a brand new building that we really had to learn a lot about.”

As director, Barnes oversaw the expansion, which required that the aquarium shut down for more than two years. It reopened in May 2006 at triple the size and has since welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors.

It required working with architects and project leaders to design the theme and exhibits for the facility; closing down the previous facility and finding a temporary home for the animals and staff during the expansion; following the construction progress; and hiring an aquarium team that grew from 14 full time staff members to more than 45.

“There are a lot of projects I can say I was proud to be a part of, but the expansion was so different,” Barnes said. “It was on a scale unlike all the other things we’ve done.”

Another large project is under way at Pine Knoll Shores; and while he won’t be involved as the aquarium’s director, Barnes said he’ll remain active in the Aquarium Pier at Emerald Isle project through his work with the Aquarium Society. The project, an educational fishing pier that is a partnership with the Town of Emerald Isle, is currently in the design phase.

As he transitions to his role with the Aquarium Society, Barnes looks back at his career with the North Carolina Aquariums Division grateful that it kept him on the coast he loves and allowed him to work in a fun and creative environment.

Barnes said that he has been able to come to work every day and see families laughing and smiling and enjoying the exhibits and programs they have put together for their benefit.

He credits the staff and volunteers who have worked at his side to make it happen and says the daily contact with the visitors they serve will be one of the things he’ll miss.

“I’ll miss the opportunity on a daily basis to walk through the aquarium and see the families enjoying what we have because that is the ultimate reward,” he said.

Contact Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jpippin@freedomenc.com.