Lisa Peterson, who has run the San Diego zoo park since 2017, leaves to take the post of president / chief executive at the Houston zoo in June.
Peterson was main vice-president and executive director of Safari Park, supervising the operation of the 1,800 acres park located in the San Pasqual valley. The Park near Escondido is home to more than 3,000 animals representing more than 300 species and also has a large accredited botanical garden. The last day of Peterson will take place on April 25, said a spokesperson for the zoo.
Peterson’s announcement comes only a few days after his boss, Paul Baribault, resigned as CEO and president of the non -profit association which manages both the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Baribault has managed this organization for almost six years.
Before joining San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 2017Then known as San Diego Zoo Global, Peterson worked 25 years in the hotel industry, including working with the Summerfield hotel company, later bought by IHG, and two regional vice-president stays at White Hodging, according to its biography on LinkedIn. She also managed several retail teams at Apple’s flagship location in San Francisco.
During his stay in Safari Park, Peterson supervised the opening of the Walkabout Australia housing in 2018 and supervised the development of the Habitat of the Elephants valley still under construction, which should open its doors in 2026.
Peterson was paid $ 501,018 in compensation and “other” services in 2023, according to data deposited with IRS and compiled by Propublica.
“Lisa’s passion for fauna conservation, its belief in culture and belonging, and its motivation for innovation have transformed the Safari park into a symbol of world class hope for the future of our planet,” said a press release. “His work has also strengthened our mission to connect people to wildlife and highlight the importance of conservation.”
Zoo officials said that vice-president and deputy director Pat Mctigue would serve as an active executive director of Safari Park while a national research is launched to replace Peterson.
Peterson was cited in a declaration by Houston Zoo, published on Wednesday, saying that she was enthusiastic about her new position and working with “this team to connect communities with animals while inspiring the action to save fauna”. She could not be reached immediately to comment.
Six months ago, Peterson joined the Board of Directors of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to his LinkedIn page. This leadership position with AZA, a non -profit group that serves as an accreditation organization for zoos and aquariums, was noticed by the leaders of the Houston zoo.
“Lisa’s executive experience mixture, passion for fauna and leadership in the association of zoos and aquariums made it clear choice,” said the chairman of the Houston zoo board, Joe Cleary, in a statement. “We can’t wait to start in June.”
The Houston Zoo attracts more than 2 million visitors per year. Safari Park attracted more than 1.6 million visitors in 2022.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
