Zoo Atlanta Board of Directors

ZOO ATLANTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS WELCOMES FIVE NEW ATLANTA LEADERS
The new members’ terms will see the completion of a transformative expansion

ATLANTA – January 25, 2017 – The Zoo Atlanta Board of Directors welcomes five new business and civic leaders beginning in January 2017. New members are Paul Brown, CEO of Arby’s Restaurant Group; Pedro Cherry, Senior Vice President, Metro Atlanta Region at Georgia Power; Sonji Jacobs, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs at Cox Enterprises; Erica Qualls-Battey, General Manager, Atlanta Marriott Marquis; and Scott Taylor, President of Carter & Associates. The five were elected for three-year terms effective January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2019.

“We are excited and honored to welcome such a prestigious group of leaders to the Zoo Atlanta Board of Directors at such a dynamic time for the Zoo,” said Raymond B. King, President and CEO of Zoo Atlanta. “We’re pleased and proud to have their leadership, talents, energy and business insights with us as we open a new year well positioned for success and continued growth.”

Chaired by Andrew W. Evans, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southern Company Gas, the Zoo’s 2017 Board of Directors is composed of 37 members and includes some of metro Atlanta’s most influential corporate executives, philanthropic leaders and community influencers.

Mr. Brown, Mr. Cherry, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Qualls-Battey and Mr. Taylor join the Board of Directors in an exciting new era for Zoo Atlanta, which opened 2017 with news of a record-breaking year. The Zoo recently announced that 2016 was a historic year for attendance, with nearly a million visitors. The 2016 visitation has been surpassed only one other time in the Zoo’s 127 years, in 2000, when giant pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang made their debut.

Over the course of their first three-year terms, the new leaders will also see the Zoo’s largest expansion yet come to fruition. In summer 2016, Zoo Atlanta announced a triumphant finish for its Grand New View capital campaign, which has since raised a total of $42.6 million against an original goal of $38.1 million. Set for completion in early 2019, the project will revitalize the Cyclorama building and its adjacent property to create a one-of-a-kind event destination overlooking an all-new African savanna. Visit zooatlanta.org for more information, and stay tuned for project updates.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Rachel Davis
Director of Communications
404.624.2812 – office
404.309.2238 – cell
rdavis@zooatlanta.org

Gavin Johnson
Public Relations & Communications Specialist
404.624.5980 – office
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
Viewed as one of the finest zoological institutions in the U.S. and a proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta has a mission to inspire value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family experiences. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. The Zoo’s newest destination, Scaly Slimy Spectacular: The Amphibian and Reptile Experience, featuring more than 70 species in a 111,000 square-foot complex, opened in 2015 and is the world’s first LEED Gold-certified reptile and amphibian exhibit. Zoo highlights include giant pandas, including Ya Lun and Xi Lun, a set of twins born to Lun Lun on September 3; North America’s largest zoological population of great apes; and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Up-close-and-personal animal experiences include behind-the-scenes Wild Encounters with African elephants, Aldabra giant tortoises, giant pandas and warthogs. Zoo Atlanta is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.

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