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Zoo Staff Interests

Members of the Saint Louis Zoo staff contribute their time and talents to Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) programs and other collaborative projects. Media interested in talking to them should contact powell@stlzoo.org or childs@stlzoo.org.

Jeffrey P. Bonner, PhD, president and CEO

  • Board Chairman, International Species Information System (ISIS)
  • Chair, Madagascar Fauna Group
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Humboldt Penguin Conservation in Punta San Juan, Peru
  • Board Member, Conservation Breeding Specialists Group (CBSG)
  • Member, External Advisory Committee, Duke University Primate Center
  • Council Member, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums

William Boever, DVM, director

  • Member, AZA Accreditation Committee
  • Member and past president, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
  • Member and past president, American College of Zoological Medicine
  • Member, American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Member, St. Louis Veterinary Medical Association
  • Member, Animal Welfare Committee, Missouri Veterinary Medical Association
  • Member, Board of Directors, Wildlife Rescue Center
  • Member, American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians

Charles H. Hoessle, director emeritus

  • Past-president and Honorary member, AZA

ANIMAL DIVISION

William Houston, assistant general curator

  • Coordinator, Lesser Kudu Population Management Plan
  • Coordinator, Addax Species Survival Plan
  • Member, Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group
  • Member, Steering Committee, Buffalo/Bison/Cattle Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Steering Committee, Wild Pig and Peccary Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Antelope and Giraffe Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Board of Directors, Sahara Conservation Fund
  • Institutional Representative, Paraguay Conservation Action Plan
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Sahelo-Saharan Wildlife Recovery

Steve Bircher, curator of mammals/carnivores

  • Member, Steering Committee, Taxon Advisory Groups for Felid and Small Carnivore
  • Member, Management Group, Species Survival Plans for Cheetah, Lion, Snow Leopard, North American River Otter, Sloth Bear and Sun Bear
  • Member, Taxon Advisory Groups for Bear, Canid and Hyaenid
  • Institutional Representative, Species Survival Plans for Jaguar, Polar Bear, Red Panda and Spectacled Bear
  • Institutional Representative, Population Management Plans for Amur Leopard, California Sea Lion and Puma
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Cheetah Conservation
  • Member, American Society of Mammalogists
  • Member, The St. Louis Academy of Science

Ingrid Porton, curator of mammals/primates

  • Co-director, AZA Wildlife Contraception Center at Saint Louis Zoo
  • Coordinator, Species Survival Plans for Black Lemur (Black/Blue-eyed), and Ruffed Lemur (Black and White/Red)
  • Vice-chair, Madagascar Fauna Group
  • Vice-chair, Contraception Scientific Advisory Group
  • Studbook Keeper, International Studbooks for Black Lemur (Black/Blue-eyed) & Ruffed Lemur (Black and White, Red)
  • Member, Steering Committee, Posimians Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, CBSG
  • Member, Gorilla Behavior Advisory Group
  • Member, Management Group, Species Surival Plans for Chimpanzee, Goeldi's Monkey, Mongoose Lemur, Ring-tailed Lemur, and Macaques
  • Institutional Representative, Species Survival Plans/Taxon Advisory Groups for Black-and-white Colobus, Cotton-top Tamarin and Golden Lion Tamarin
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Madagascar Conservation
  • Member, American Society of Primatologists
  • Member, International Society of Primatologists
  • Member, IUCN Primate Specialist Group
  • Member, Society for Conservation Biology

Michael Macek, curator of birds

  • Coordinator, Screamer Population Management Plan
  • Chair, Piciformes Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, AZA Regional Conference Program Committee
  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Crested, Horned and Black-necked Screamers
  • Member, Management Group, Species Survival Plans for Cinereous Vulture, Congo Peafowl, Great and Rhinoceros Hornbills, Humboldt Penguin and Micronesian Kingfisher
  • Member, Steering Committee, Taxon Advisory Groups for Galliformes/Tinamiformes, Penguins and Coraciiformes
  • Member, Taxon Advisory Groups for Anseriformes (Ducks/Geese), Ciconiiformes, Columbiformes, Gruiformes, Passeriformes, Cracids and Raptors
  • Institutional Representative, Species Survival Plans for Bali Mynah, Wattled Crane, White-naped Crane, Mauritius Pink Pigeon, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Blue Crowned Pigeon and White-winged Wood Duck
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Conservation of the Horned Guan
  • Project Co-manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Humboldt Penguin Conservation in Punta San Juan, Peru
  • Member, IUCN/SSC Cracid Specialist Group

Jeff Ettling, curator of reptiles, amphibians and fish

  • Coordinator, Ocellated Mountain Viper Population Management Program
  • Co-Coordinator, Puerto Rican Crested Toad Species Survival Plan
  • Member, AZA Honors and Awards Committee
  • Member, Management Group, Aruba Island Rattlesnake Species Survival Plan
  • Member, Steering Committee, Crocodilians Taxon Advisory Group
  • Institutional Representative, Species Survival Plans for Chinese Alligator, Wyoming Toad and Radiated Tortoise
  • Institutional Representative, Taxon Advisory Groups for Amphibians, Chelonians, Crocodilians, Lizards, Snakes and Squamids
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Conservation of Near East Mountain Vipers
  • Member, The Herpetologists' League
  • Member, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

Martha Fischer, curator of mammals/ungulates

  • Chair, Equids Taxon Advisory Group
  • Vice-chair, Antelope and Giraffe Taxon Advisory subgroup for Arid Land Antelopes, Gazelles and Pronghorn Antelope
  • Coordinator, Grevy's Zebra Species Survival Plan
  • Coordinator, Speke's Gazelle Population Management Plan
  • Secretary, Elephant Species Survival Plan/Taxon Advisory Group
  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Grevy's zebra
  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Speke's gazelle
  • Member, Sterring Committee, Taxon Advisory Group for Bison/Buffalo/Cattle, Wild Pig and Peccary, and Rhinoceros
  • Member, Management Group, Species Survival Plan for Babirusa, Banteng, Bongo, Addra and Mhorr Gazelle, and Okapi
  • Institutional Representative, Species Survival Plan for Addax, Arabian Oryx, Chacoan Peccary, Black Rhinoceros, and Visayan Warty Pig
  • Institutional Representative, Deer Taxon Advisory Group
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Equid Conservation in the Horn of Africa
  • Member, Board of Directors, International Elephant Foundation
  • Member, East Africa Conservation Action Partnership
  • Member, Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group
  • Member, IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group
  • Member, IUCN/SSC Equid Specialist Group
  • Professional member, Elephant Manager's Association

Jane Stevens, curator of invertebrates

  • Member, Steering Committee, Terrestrial Invertebrates Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Aquatic Invertebrates Taxon Advisory Group
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Conservation of the American Burying Beetle
  • Member, Coleopterists Society
  • Member, Missouri Prairie Foundation

Alice Seyfried, curator/Children's Zoo

  • Coordinator, Echidna Population Management Plan
  • Co-chair and Newsletter Editor, Children's Zoo Interest Group
  • Chair, Marsupials and Monotremes Taxon Advisory Group
  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Short-beaked Echidna
  • Advisor, Conservation Education Committee
  • Member, Management Group, Tree Kangaroo Species Survival Plan
  • Member, Management Group, Queensland Koala Species Survival Group
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Conservation in Papua New Guinea

Rae Lynn Haliday, registrar

  • Director, St. Louis Chapter, The Association of Records Managers and Administrators
  • Chair-Elect 2006-2007, Zoological Registrars Association
  • Member, Institutional Data Management Scientific Advisory Group
  • Chair, Government Ownership Committee
  • Registrar Advisor, Prosimian Taxon Advisory Group

Terri Hunnicutt, zoological manager/great apes

  • Member, Keeper Advisory Committee, Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan
  • Moderator, Husbandry Listserv, Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan

Joseph Knobbe, zoological manager/primates

  • Vice-coordinator, Baboon Species Survival Plan
  • Institutional Representative, Macaque Species Survival Plan
  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Hamadryas Baboon
  • Member, Steering Committee, Old World Monkeys Taxon Advisory Group

Cathi Jeltes, zoological manager/River's Edge

  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Somali Wild Ass
  • Coordinator, Somali Wild Ass Population Management Plan
  • Professional member, Elephant Manager's Association

Diane Wilson, zoological manager/antelope area

  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Guenther's and Kirk's Dik-Dik
  • Coordinator, Guenther's and Kirk's Dik-Dik Population Management Plan

Bob Merz, zoological manager/invertebrates

  • Member, The Nature Conservancy
  • Member, Missouri Prairie Foundation

Anne Tieber, zoological manager/birds

  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Bearded Barbet

Melissa Miller, senior keeper/bird department

  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Lesser Kudu

Eric Jeltes, keeper/birds

  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Sarus Crane
  • Coordinator, Sarus Crane Population Management Plan

Mark Wanner, zoological manager/herps and aquatics

  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Green Tree Python

Research Department

Cheryl Asa, Ph.D., director of research

  • Co-director, AZA Wildlife Contraception Center at Saint Louis Zoo
  • Member, IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group
  • Reproduction Advisor, IUCN/SSC Equid Specialist Group
  • Reproduction Advisor, Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Plan
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Groups for Behavior, Biomaterials Banking, Reproduction, and Research Coordinators Committee
  • Project Manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for MesoAmerican Conservation, Bosawas
  • Chair, Contraception Scientific Advisory Group
  • Member, Survival Service Commission, CBSG
  • Member, Science and Technology Committee
  • Member, Editorial Board, ZOO BIOLOGY
  • Member, Taxon Advisory Groups for Buffalo/Bison/Cattle, Canid/Hyenid, Antelope and Giraffe, Small Carnivore and Equid
  • Member, Executive Advisory Board, International Center for Tropical Ecology UMSL
  • Founding member, Mesomerican Society of Biology & Conservation
  • Member, Society of Conservation Biology
  • Consultant, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mexican Wolf Recovery Team
  • Member, U.S. National Park Service Channel Island Fox Recovery Team

Karen Bauman, laboratory manager

  • Coordinator, Fennec Fox Species Survival Plan
  • Studbook Keeper, North American Regional Studbook for Fennec Fox
  • Secretary, Canids/Hyenids Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Taxon Advisory Groups for Anseriformes, Antelope and Giraffe, Bison/Buffalo/Cattle, Canid and Hyaenid
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Groups for Biomaterials Banking, Institutional Data Management, and Reproduction
  • Member, IUCN/SSC Canid Specialty Group
  • Member, International Society for Biotelemetry
  • Member, Remote Sensing & GIS Working Group, The Wildlife Society
  • Member, American Society of Mammalogists
  • Member, U.S. National Park Service Channel Island Fox Recovery Team

Joan Bauman, endocrinologist

  • Member, Contraception and Reproduction Scientific Advisory Groups
  • Chairman, Education Committee, Clinical Ligand Assay Society

Conservation Division

Eric Miller, DVM, Dipl. ACAM, director of WildCare Institute

  • Board Member, AZA Giant Panda Foundation (2003-2006)
  • Veterinary Advisor, Rhinoceros Taxon Advisory Group
  • Associate Veterinary Advisor, Tiger Species Survival Plan
  • Member, Veterinary Specialist Group of IUCN
  • Member, European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians
  • Member, Executive Board, World Association of Wildlife Veterinarians
  • Scientific Advisor, International Zoo Yearbook
  • Co-Editor, Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, 4th through 6th Editions
  • Member, Veterinary Subcommittee, CBSG Advisory Board
  • Project Co-manager, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for Avian Health in the Galapagos Islands

Animal Health/Nutrition Department

Randy Junge, DVM, director of animal health and nutrition

  • Vice-chair, Biomaterials Banking Scientific Advisory Group
  • Veterinary Advisor, Ruffed Lemur Restocking Project, Madagascar Conservation Action Plan
  • Veterinary Advisor, Reintroduction Scientific Advisory Group
  • Veterinary Advisor, Species Survival Plans for Lemur (Black/Blue-eyed Black), Cheetah, Micronesian Kingfisher, and Ocellated Mountain Viper
  • Veterinary Advisor, Prosimians Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Association of Avian Veterinarians
  • Member, American Society of Primatology
  • Member, Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians
  • Member, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
  • Member, AZA Animal Health Committee
  • Diplomate, American College of Zoological Medicine

Martha Weber, DVM, staff veterinarian

  • Veterinary Advisor, Species Survival Plans for Ruffed lemurs (Black and white, Red)
  • Veterinary Advisor, Pelicaniformes Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Contraception Scientific Advisory Group
  • AAZV Representative, AZA Animal Data Information System Committee
  • AAZV Co-chair, Zoological Information Management System Committee
  • Member, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians

Mary Duncan, BVMS, veterinary pathologist

  • Pathology Advisor, Species Survival Plans for Black Rhinoceros and Okapi
  • Pathology Advisor, Old World Monkeys Taxon Advisory Group
  • Member, Biomaterials Banking Scientific Advisory Group
  • Member, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
  • Member, AAZV Education Committee

Ellen Dierenfeld, Ph.D, staff nutritionist

  • Nutrition Advisor, Species Survival Plans for Asian Wild Horse, Babirusa, Bali Mynah, Cheetah, Giant Panda, Hornbill (Great and Rhinoceros), Lion-tailed Macaque, Rhinocerous (Black and Sumatran), Tiger
  • Nutrition Advisor, Taxon Advisory Groups for Ape, Canid & Hyena, Ciconiiformes, Elephant, Felid, Marsupial & Monotreme, Rhinoceros
  • Member, Nutrition Scientific Advisory Group
  • Member, AZA Program Committee
  • Member, Animal Data Information Systems Committee Interest Group
  • Scientific Advisor, Zoo Conservation Outreach Group
  • Scientific Advisor, The Lubee Conservancy
  • Scientific Advisor, International Rhino Foundation, Nature Conservation Trust
  • Member, Comparative Nutrition Society
  • Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Reptilian & Amphibian Medicine and Surgery
  • Member, Editorial Board, Zoo Biology
  • Member, Editorial Board, Smithsonian Institution Press
  • Member, CBSG

Education Department

Louise Bradshaw, director of education

  • Member, AZA Regional Conference Program Committee
  • Education Liaison, Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute Center for MesoAmerican Conservation, Bosawas
  • Member, AZA Executive Conference Committee
  • Member, Graphics Advisory Group
  • Advisor, Conservation Education Committee
  • Instructor and Course Administrator, Conservation Education Academy
  • Member, The St. Louis Academy of Science

Marketing Department

Ginnie Westmoreland, director of marketing

  • Member, AZA Development and Membership Committee
  • Member, AZA Conference Management Subcommittee

Facilities Management

David F. McGuire, A.I.A., director

  • Member, Green Practices Scientific Advisory Group
  • Member, Aquarium and Zoo Facilities Association

Management Information Systems

Jerry French, manager

  • Advisor, AZA Zoo Information Management System