Dr. Deborah B. Jensen, President and CEO of Woodland Park Zoo, has been elected to the board of directors of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
The AZA Board of Directors is responsible for setting policy for the Association, which accredits and represents 218 of zoos and aquariums in North America, including Woodland Park Zoo. Board members serve three-year terms.
A conservation biologist by training, Dr. Jensen joined Woodland Park Zoo as President and CEO in 2002. With more than 25 years experience in conservation and environmental science leadership and administration, Dr. Jensen is a nationally recognized spokesperson on biodiversity and conservation, and past-president of the Society for Conservation Biology, a 9,000 member scientific society with representatives from 141 countries. She received a Ph.D., M.S. and B.A. from the University of California-Berkeley and has authored or co-authored more than 30 technical publications. Dr. Jensen serves on the board of The National Elephant Center, and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, and is an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington.
In other news, the zoo just received permits for the new visitors’ center and store that will be part of the expanded West Entrance, which will open sometime next year.
