James "Joe" Ferguson

James "Joe" Ferguson, 39, of Washington, D.C., was director of geography education outreach for the National Geographic Society. He was doing what he loved, traveling and teaching. He was accompanying teachers and schoolchildren on an educational field trip to California. He tutored kids at a local school. He'd recently journeyed to Mykonos and London and was already planning his next trip to Australia for his 40th birthday. Ferguson also loved to dance, especially to the music of Janet Jackson and Madonna, and doted on his fox terrier Winston, whom he'd saved from being put to sleep.

Source: USA Today

Joe Ferguson was the director of the National Geographic Society's geography education outreach program in Washington. He was accompanying a group of students and teachers on an educational trip to the Channel Islands in California. A Mississippi native, he joined the society in 1987. "Joe Feguson's final hours at the Geographic reveal the depth of his commitment to one of the things he really loved," said John Fahey Jr., the society's president. "Joe was here at the office until late Monday evening preparing for this trip. It was his goal to make this trip perfect in every way."

Source: CNN