The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has appointed Dwight Scott, Dana Brown president and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo, as the Association’s 102nd chair of the Board of Directors, officially sworn in at the AZA’s Annual Conference in Portland, Ore., on September 30.
Scott assumes the role after having served on AZA’s Board of Directors since 2019. With over 30 years of zoological experience spanning animal care, operations, and executive leadership, the experience he will bring to the Association’s chair role will be invaluable.
"Nearly everyone who works in this field can point to a moment when an animal or a wild place changed the direction of their life. That common starting point is what makes this Association so powerful. Nature belongs to everyone, and aquariums and zoos are uniquely positioned to bring people together around it,” said Dwight Scott, Dana Brown president and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo and 102nd chair of the AZA Board of Directors. “Every visit is a chance to inspire someone to protect the natural world, and our members are doing that at a scale we have never seen before. I am honored to serve such a dedicated community, and grateful for the chance to give back to the profession that shaped me.”
As Board chair, Scott, along with three other executive officers and 10 board members, will be involved in aspects of the global organization, including fiduciary oversight and member services, ethics, animal wellbeing and conservation.
“Dwight has two personal traits – curiosity and kindness – that frame his approach to leading people and caring for animals, and that make him an outstanding choice to chair AZA’s Board of Directors,” said Dan Ashe, president and CEO of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “His integrity, judgment and steady leadership will guide AZA towards continued success.”
Dwight Scott’s career began as an animal keeper for the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium in 1994 and his positions advanced throughout his career at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, Tulsa Zoo, and San Diego Zoo. He was appointed to lead Saint Louis Zoo in 2022.
Scott has previously chaired AZA’s Ethics Board and has served on the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International Board of Directors. Scott holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in anthropology from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.
In addition to Dwight Scott’s appointment, the AZA Board of Directors also welcomed three new Board members:
- Hollie Colahan, executive director of the Arizona-Senora Desert Museum in Tucson, Ariz.
- Jon Dohlin, CEO and zoo director of Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Fresno, Calif.
- Michael “Hap” Fatzinger, director of the North Carolina Aquariums Division, which include North Carolina Aquariums located in Roanoke Island in Manteo, N.C., Pine Knoll Shores in Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, N.C. (currently closed for construction) and Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, N.C.