The Zoological Society of Milwaukee has hired a new president and chief executive officer.
Milwaukee native Jodi Gibson, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Kellogg Company, will assume the role July 11.
Gibson will replace Robert “Bert” Davis, who led the society for more than a decade before resigning in December 2015.
“Gibson steps into her new role with a unique approach as she has held senior leadership positions in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors,” says Caroline Krider, Zoological Society of Milwaukee board chair. “Her extensive experience and hands-on style will greatly benefit the Zoological Society of Milwaukee in its mission to conserve wildlife and endangered species, educate people about the importance of wildlife and the environment, and support the Milwaukee County
Zoo,” Krider says.”
The Zoological Society is a nonprofit organization with 44 full-time and 10 part-time employees that raises money to support the Milwaukee County Zoo and manage daily operations and programs aimed at educating people in the Milwaukee area on conservation and environmental issues.
The society raised more than $7.6 million for the zoo during the 2014-15 fiscal year.
Gibson was selected after a national search to find Davis’ successor was launched by the society’s board of directors.
Prior to working at Kellogg, Gibson was the divisional vice president of jcpcares, JCPenney’s corporate social responsibility program, and the director of corporate and foundation relations for Feeding America.
“I am honored and excited to join the Zoological Society of Milwaukee,” Gibson said. “Like many people in Milwaukee, I have fond memories of attending the Zoo as a child. Today, as an adult, I look at the Zoo a little differently. I see not only an amazing educational institution but also an important cultural attraction that contributes to the economic vitality of our city. Working together, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee and the Milwaukee County Zoo have created an anchor institution in our community.”
