MOSH CEO resigns; planning for new Northbank museum continues

Alistair Dove, who led Jacksonville’s Museum of Science & History as CEO for two years and helped oversee the organization’s $131 million-plus plan for a new facility, has stepped down.

MOSH confirmed Dove’s departure Thursday in a news release and in a letter sent by board of trustees chair Jill Davis to the museum’s supporters.

The organization’s chief development officer, Maureen Mercho, will serve as interim executive director while continuing her chief duties until a permanent replacement is selected, the letter says.

In an email Thursday to Jacksonville Today, Davis said Dove’s resignation was voluntary.

“Dr. Dove resigned to pursue new opportunities. We wish him well in the next chapter of his career,” Davis wrote.

The search for the next CEO will begin soon, and Davis said the board “has just launched a committee to devise a plan and process to search for its next leader.”

According to Davis, MOSH’s plan to move its museum facility from its 56-year home on Downtown’s Southbank to 2.5-acres of the Northbank Shipyards along East Bay Street remains on schedule.

Alister’s departure comes as the museum’s leadership is trying to get City Council approval on a third change to its redevelopment agreement with the city for the MOSH Northbank museum. 

MOSH and the council agreed to defer legislation in December that would approve an amendment to its agreement with the city reducing the amount of on-site parking at the new museum from 75 to 30 spaces. The amended deal would also extend MOSH’s deadline to submit final museum designs to the city until the end of January. 

Museum leaders hit pause on the bill after several council members voiced concerns about MOSH’s plan to replace the on-site parking garage with spaces in the nearby city-controlled parking decks used to service VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and ballpark about two blocks away.

According to Davis, the deferral and Dove’s departure are unrelated.

“Dr. Dove’s resignation is completely independent of and not related to the changed meeting date. MOSH is working closely with the city to address input from a prior meeting, and the deferral allows for a strong and thoughtful proposal back to City Council,” Davis told Jacksonville Today. “We look forward to reconvening with the City Council at an upcoming meeting.”

A groundbreaking is still expected this year. MOSH closed its Southbank museum in May, but the organization plans to continue community outreach and education programs while the new MOSH is built over the next three years.

Davis, who also chairs MOSH’s capital campaign, told the council’s Neighborhoods, Community Services, Health and Safety Committee on Dec. 1 that museum officials have raised $45 million for the new museum outside of the city’s $50 million contribution. She said during the meeting MOSH has identified potential donors with $80 million in donation capacity.

MOSH’s latest conceptual design for the building would mean a $106 million facility with exhibits costing an additional $25 million to $35 million, she said. That makes the latest estimates for the new museum as $131 million to $141 million.

According to Davis, museum officials are seeking $5 million from the state of Florida during the 2026 legislative session on top of the $7.5 million Tallahassee has already awarded for the project.

City Council member Jimmy Pelso, who represents the Downtown Northbank, says he had not discussed the circumstances of Dove’s departure with MOSH leadership. But he sees the success of the new museum as “paramount” for Downtown’s success.

“Nothing will help make the city, and especially the public spaces on the river, really pop than this awesome museum that’s going to be sitting right there. We all want that,” Pelsuo said. 

Dove’s MOSH legacy

Before Dove came to MOSH, he had spent more than 17 years at the Georgia Aquarium, most recently as vice president of science and education. He is an Australian native who has studied aquatic species and environments around the world.

After the announcement Thursday, Dove provided Jacksonville Today the following statement:

“I greatly enjoyed working with the team at MOSH to advance public programs, curate new exhibits, develop conceptual work for the new museum campus on the north bank, and develop community partnerships across the Jacksonville region,” Dove wrote. “As I enter the next chapter, I appreciate the opportunity to have contributed to the MOSH mission during a period of such dynamic change.”

In her official statement, Davis praised Dove’s tenure at the organization.

“We are deeply grateful for Dr. Dove’s leadership and impacts on MOSH. His contributions over the past two years have meaningfully positioned MOSH for its transformative work ahead,” she wrote.

“To name just a few of his accomplishments, Dr. Dove helped expand MOSH programming that brought community-based learning opportunities to schools, partner organizations, and local events. He has also been a valuable contributor to the planning of the future museum experience, developing programs that will immerse guests in the engaging natural history of Northeast Florida and the sciences that bridge the past and the future.”