Tommy Gregors

Director of Artesian Alliance

 

A native Albanian, Tommy Gregors has served as Executive Director of Thronateeska Heritage Center since 2002, Flint RiverQuarium since 2013, and Chehaw Park & Zoo since 2019. Prior to his employment at Thronateeska, he worked for the Georgia Wildlife Federation as Special Projects Manager. Tommy is a member of the board of directors for the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Southwest Georgia Chapter of Quail Forever, and the Georgia Wildlife Federation. He also serves on the Albany Citizens Transportation Committee, the Georgia Department of Community Affairs CDBG Citizens Advisory Committee, and the Albany Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. Tommy is married to his wife Sandy, who is the Albany Visitor Center Manager.

Ben Scott

Director of Flint RiverQuarium

 

Ben Scott, the Director of the Flint RiverQuarium, has been an avid fish collector since childhood. He attended Darton College and spent 28 years in the retail pet industry. During that time, Ben co-owned Seaview Aquariums, a successful business in Albany. While there, he volunteered many hours with the Flint RiverQuarium to educate guests and groups on aquatic habitats and marine species. Ben began working full-time at the RiverQuarium in 2012. He also serves as the aquarium’s Dive Safety Officer. A diver for over 40 years, Ben has attained dive certifications through the following agencies: NASDS/SSI, IDEA, PADI, and PSAI. Ben has been married to his wife Stacey for 29 years and has one son, Canyon.

Jackie Entz Shores

Director of Education

 

Jackie moved to Georgia in 1996. She left Albany for a short while to pursue a BS in Biology with a Chemistry minor, followed by an MS in Biology, at Georgia Southern University. It was there she got her start with animals and environmental education. While in college and as a graduate, she worked at the Center for Wildlife Education where she handled birds of prey and reptiles and also coordinated education programming. Jackie CHOSE to come back to Southwest Georgia for an education position with Chehaw in 2010 and became Director of Education for the Alliance in 2020. She is dedicated to making the community a better place through education and service. Jackie serves as a board member for Albany State University’s NOYCE grant and Leadership Albany. Her love of wildlife isn’t just expressed through work. She and her husband hunt with birds of prey as master falconers and enjoy sharing mother nature with their daughters, Ansley and Carson, and son, Weston.

Samantha Kerns Sassone

Director of Living Collections

 

As the Director of Living Collections, Samantha works with curators at both Chehaw Park & Zoo and the Flint RiverQuarium to create a consistent and high standard of care and welfare for all animals managed by the Artesian Alliance. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from Marshall University and an Associate of Science in Zoo Animal Technology from Santa Fe Community College. Samantha previously worked as a zookeeper at the Lubee Bat Conservancy and Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens before arriving at Chehaw Park & Zoo in 2009.