Gene Zajac was the planetarium director of the Shaker Heights City School district. He retired after 41 years of teaching with the last 24 years as the planetarium director of Shaker Heights High School planetarium in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He taught lessons to elementary and secondary students. Gene has retired to Sagamore Hills, Ohio. Although he does not teach in a classroom, he continues to teach astronomy and host special events and star parties. He volunteers for schools, libraries and other community sites to further the education of astronomy. Gene was awarded the Thomas J. Brennen Award in 2003 for Outstanding Contributions to the Teaching of Astronomy in Grades 9-12. In 2006 he was chosen to give the Armond N. Spitz Memorial Lecture for the Great Lakes Planetatium Association.