Prior to her current leadership role at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa, she worked for the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) from 1992 to 2021. She was Director of Education for almost 10 years,  Director of uShaka Sea World for 10 years, through the amazing years of building and then moving from the old Sea World to uShaka Sea World. After a few years as the CEO of SAAMBR she returned to her passion for conservation and education as the Conservation Strategist of the Association.

Judy holds a PhD from the University of Queensland in Australia, where she studied how best to inspire visitors from multiple cultures to care for the environment. She also has a Master of Science Degree in Ichthyology (Fish) and a Degree in Business management.

Judy has presented at many national and international conferences and has published widely. She has run workshops locally and internationally on zoo and aquarium conservation learning, visitor research and science communication. She has also run many training courses on marine topics for groups ranging from rural mussel collectors to marine protected area managers in various locations along the eastern seaboard of Africa.

She was the co-founder and first chairperson of the South African Marine and Coastal Educators Network (MCEN). This association, started in the mid 1990s, has grown to be the voice and network for marine education in South Africa. She was an international advisor to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association Conservation Education Committee and served as a member of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication. She is now on the IUCN Behaviour Change Task Force. Judy is currently a Council Member and Chair of the Conservation and Environmental Sustainability Committee for the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA)