Danielle DuMerer

From immersive exhibits to the data systems that keep operations flowing, Danielle DuMerer orchestrates the technology vital to staff success and the guest experience at Shedd Aquarium. As Vice President, Technology & Information Security, she oversees the aquarium’s technology infrastructure, audio-visual and exhibit technologies, applications, data management, and information security.

DuMerer has more than 20 years of technology management and product development experience, most recently serving as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the City of Chicago. In that role, she worked to improve how residents interacted with the government by creating more responsive and accessible digital services.

In 2023, DuMerer was named a Notable Woman in STEM by Crain’s Chicago Business. In 2019, she was recognized as CIO of the Year by the Executives Club of Chicago, the Society of Information Management Chicago Chapter and the CompTIA AITP Chicago Chapter. She was also named one of Government Technology's Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers.

Prior to her career in government, DuMerer developed educational technology products at McGraw-Hill Companies. She also worked as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy, and in the library and archives field, helping educational and nonprofit organizations promote equitable access to and preservation of informational resources.

Beyond her role at Shedd, DuMerer is a founding member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Technology SAG Steering Committee and a member of the Program Advisory Committee for Loyola University – Chicago's Department of Computer Science, and has her PMP certification from the Project Management Institute. She has previously served as a board member for SIM Chicago and Bernie’s Book Bank.