Denise Verret
Denise Verret, Chief Executive Officer and Zoo Director at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, will be guest speaker Wednesday, January 6, on the Pasadena Rotary Club’s weekly online meeting, which starts at 12 noon. She will be speaking on the topic, “The Los Angeles Zoo – 2021 and Beyond.”
Members of the public may attend.
Verret, the first female African American director of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited institution, has 20 years of executive leadership experience. She is passionate about conservation, community engagement and racial, social and environmental justice.
As CEO and Zoo Director, her inspired empathetic and transformative leadership style guides the senior management team in achieving the Zoo’s mission with clearly defined goals, strategies and methods for measuring success. She is also committed to maximizing the welfare of the animals in the care of the Zoo by applying the most up-to-date research, science and advanced understanding in animal wellness, husbandry, management, and exhibit design.
Verret has been actively involved in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for 17 years, as an AZA accreditation inspector and a member of various committees, including Government Affairs and Diversity. She is an elected member of the AZA Board of Directors and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) Center.
She holds a BS in Administrative Studies degree from UC Riverside and began her career as an intern with the City of Los Angeles. Early in her government career, she had the opportunity to be mentored by women of color who blazed many trails along the way. Mentoring and giving back to people of color on their own leadership journeys remains close to her heart and enriches her own continued leadership growth and development.
Verret continues to be inspired to do conservation differently, aligned with her strong values of collaboration, purpose, and justice.
Wednesday’s Rotary Club meeting is open to the public. To watch the proceedings, go to Zoom,
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
If you need help with Zoom, call Tammy Silver at (626) 744-9533 or email tamaramsilver@gmail.com.
To learn more about the Pasadena Rotary Club, visit www.pasadenarotary.com.
