Saint Louis Zoo

The Zoo hosted a town hall in April with Stefani Weeden-Smith, Director of the St. Louis Anchor Action Network and Prima Wagan, Senior Manager of Economic Development Projects with UMSL. Speaking to the Zoo’s supplier diversity committee and community, Stefani and Prima highlighted the anchor institution’s collective work towards making an impact. The goal is for everyone in our region to be able to economically thrive through the power of collaboration and commitment.

An economic impact report released today estimates Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park will generate over $660 million in economic activity in the St. Louis region in the next decade. Combined with the Saint Louis Zoo in Forest Park, the impact comes to more than $2.5 billion over the next 10 years. “We are creating a place where endangered and threatened animals can thrive,” said Dwight Scott, Dana Brown President & CEO, Saint Louis Zoo. “But this report makes it clear WildCare Park will help the regional economy thrive too.” WildCare Park is set to open to the public in 2027. Read more about the report: https://lnkd.in/guJJMU5j

Michael Macek, Director of the Saint Louis Zoo, grew up in Chicago and arrived at the Saint Louis Zoo as a Zoologist in the Bird Department. "Moving to St. Louis provided me the confidence to not so much “reinvent,” but to express my true self, if not to all, at least (in the beginning) to myself and family ... It was not until I came out that I could, for the first time, clearly see what I could be. I could open my heart to truly love another and allow my true self to be loved." Read Michael’s story at https://bit.ly/3PwhiFf

At the end of April, the Saint Louis Zoo invited students from Ritenour High School to participate in the Job Readiness Workshop. Students heard from Zoo staff about their career journey to where they are today, talked about job search strategies and other resources and participated in mock interviews. This is the third year the Zoo has hosted high school students across St. Louis city and county for the job readiness workshop.

Does field conservation really work? Yesterday, the Saint Louis Zoo had the honor to host the lead author of an exhaustive study involving the analysis of 186 studies that asked just that. Dr. Penny Langhammer, Executive Vice President of Re:Wild, led the first-of-its-kind study recently published in "Science" titled “The Positive Impact of Conservation Action”. Dr. Langhammer’s data-driven results showed that in most cases biodiversity conservation efforts are effective, especially in cases of invasive and problematic species control and restoration of degraded and lost habitat done in intentionally selected, protected areas. Dr. Langhammer’s talk was followed by thoughtful questions and discussion by our audience, including senior Zoo leadership, directors of Zoo conservation centers, members of our Conservation Council, field partners and leaders in our partner institutions, The Missouri Botanical Garden, University of Missouri-St. Louis, and Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Langhammer provided inspiration and suggestions to further the Saint Louis Zoo’s work as a leading conservation organization for wildlife and biodiversity around the world. Read more about the study here: https://bit.ly/3x3Urdy.

Congratulations to Chief Financial Officer Cassandra Brown Ray who recently announced she will retire at the end of August after more than 32 years at the Zoo! Through Ray's final months in the role, the Zoo is conducting a national search in partnership with Shelli Herman & Associates to identify the next Chief Financial Officer. The role provides leadership for all aspects of the Zoo’s finances, focused on uplifting overall organizational operations. As a senior member of the Strategic Operations Group, the Zoo’s senior leadership team, the CFO helps lead strategies that support the Zoo’s mission, goals, and general operations and is key to the financial strength of the organization, assuring fiscal soundness, workplace effectiveness and the provision of mission-centric services. View the job listing for the role at https://lnkd.in/griQDs-5.

The Zoo was proud to host an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month event during our first-ever Animals Aglow lantern festival. Guests from the Asian American Chamber of Commerce, Washington University's APIDA Affinity Group and a number of local community organizations gathered to socialize before taking in the festival celebrating the art of Chinese lanterns.

Today is the start of #VolunteerAppreciationWeek! The Zoo has over 2,000 volunteers who offer their time to interact with guests and talk about the Zoo’s conservation efforts. Michael Macek, Director of the Zoo says, “Our volunteer family brings such incredible enthusiasm, experience and perspectives. They connect with our guests and staff in diverse and meaningful ways that enrich the guest experience and our staff work lives.” Thank you to our volunteers! We ❤️ you.

For Women’s History Month, the Saint Louis Zoo is sharing the experiences of women central to carrying out our mission every day. Cassandra Brown Ray made Zoo history as the first woman and the first African American to serve as Chief Financial Officer after 27 years working in the Zoo’s Finance Office. “Becoming Chief Financial Officer here was a dream come true! I learned so much and worked so hard because I care about the state of the Zoo,” Ray said. “I’m blessed to do this in my hometown. There's no place like home!” Ray has deep roots in greater St. Louis. She grew up in Velda Village Hills and graduated from Normandy High School where she fell in love with accounting through her schoolwork and high school job working as a bank teller. “I knew wanted to study accounting and work with both people and numbers,” she said. “I wanted to be the boss!” Ray earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri-Columbia and her MBA from Lindenwood University. She worked for years as an accountant in the defense industry, but when her company, General Dynamics, relocated, she knew she wanted to stay in St. Louis. That’s when in 1992 Ray spotted an ad in the St. Louis American newspaper for an accountant role at the Zoo. "I initially joined the Zoo as a bridge to the next chapter. I had a plan to stay at the Zoo for 2 years and get back out into corporate,” she said. “But I fell in love with the Zoo. Even when it's hard, it's worth it! The important conservation work here saving animals heading for extinction matters to our world.” Ray was named CFO in 2019. She now leads the Finance Team and is a member of executive leadership aiming to take the Zoo to the next level. Ray’s been a driver of major projects, including the ongoing development of Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park in north St. Louis County. She also worked diligently to create and lead the Saint Louis Zoo’s first Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion Committee that launched here in 2015. Ray remains a passionate advocate for gender equity and diversity at the Zoo. “Early in life I was exposed to what it feels like to be marginalized, rejected and not accepted for who I am. It's a terrible feeling,” she said. “Gender inequity and non-inclusive workforces scream for a solution. They can be improved if employers really wanted to fix the problem. Intentionality is required. I want to be a part of that solution." #WomensHistoryMonth

The Zoo is looking for an artist for Destination Discovery! Interested in learning more? Check out this opportunity and others at https://lnkd.in/gxdFFxvw