Living Coast Discovery Center, the Chula Vista-based nonprofit zoo and aquarium, announced this week its executive director will retire on Feb. 6 after 24 years of service.
Ben Vallejos began as a volunteer aquarist in the early 1990s before joining the staff of what was then the Chula Vista Nature Center in 2002. He has served as executive director for the past 12 years.
Under his leadership, the center grew annual revenues from $500,000 in 2010 to $2.5 million in 2025 and completed several major projects, including a sea turtle exhibit expansion in 2015 and aquatic life support upgrades from 2022 to 2024. He also led the organization through a 14-month closure during the COVID-19 pandemic and a 2013 fundraising campaign that raised more than $400,000 in 30 days to prevent the center from closing.
“After more than two decades of service, this is a natural time for me to step aside,” Vallejos said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we have accomplished in pursuit of our mission — growing our team, strengthening our programs and expanding our impact in so many areas.”
Shayna Foreman, the center’s director of education and guest experience, has been appointed interim executive director. Foreman joined the Living Coast in 2022 and has more than 20 years of experience in informal science education, including previous work at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
The center is searching for a permanent executive director.
Located on San Diego Bay in Chula Vista, the Living Coast Discovery Center welcomes an average of 70,000 visitors annually and provides education programs to thousands of children each year.