Florida Museum of Natural History Director Douglas S. Jones was elected president of the Association of Science Museum Directors at the association’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City in March.

Jones was named interim director of the Florida Museum in 1996 and director the following year. As a curator of invertebrate paleontology, his research focuses on tracking ancient climate changes by studying chemical variations in organisms including sea shells, fish otoliths (ear bones) and mammal teeth.

Jones has been a member of the museum directors association since 1998 and served on its board for six years. As president, he will represent the association to the media and other museum organizations, and run the association’s business meetings.

“I am honored to serve the ASMD as president, being a huge believer in the role of science museums in advancing the public’s understanding and appreciation of science in today’s society,” Jones said.

Jones also serves on the board of directors of the American Alliance of Museums in Washington, D.C., as well as the boards of The Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences Inc. and the Florida Association of Museums. He also is a past president of the Florida association.

The Association of Science Museum Directors began in 1959 with a mission to represent and promote the interests of natural history museums and science centers and help coordinate research, collections and education programs between museums at the national level.

The organization has about 60 institutional members who represent the leading science museums and centers in the U.S. and Canada. The association is open to museums, science and technology centers, zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens that work toward research, collections or educational programs in the sciences.