Jeff Williamson
Jeff Williamson was recently named the President of the Arizona Zoological Society.
The Arizona Zoological Society is a 501(c)(3) Arizona not for profit corporation founded in 1961 to engage in the conservation of wildlife and habitat and to operate the Phoenix Zoo as a zoological garden and recreation destination that engenders affection for and appreciation of nature.
He had been the CEO/President and Executive Director of the Zoo since August of 1996. Before that he was the Zoo’s Deputy Director for three years. Prior to his work in Phoenix he was Deputy Director of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Williamson is a life-long conservationist who grew up on farms and has spent his career trying to integrate the interests of people and nature.
He is involved with many conservation organizations, among them are the Sonoita Valley Planning Partnership, Cienega Watershed Partnership, Arizona Conservation Alliance, Arizona Advocacy Network, Arizona Riparian Council, Arizona Native Plant Society, the Society for Conservation Biology and Friends of the Ironwood Forest. He is active in watershed level planning and program development in Meso America, the Sonoita Valley in Arizona, and Northeastern Sonora, Mexico. He received the The Quivira Coalition 2004 Clarence Burch Award for his collaborative work on the Empire Ranch and Sonoita Valley Planning Partnership, and he was a presenting participant in the 2005 White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation for this same project. He has been the recipient of the Arizona Wildlife Federation, Arizona Conservationist of the Year, McCollough Award, and the Arizona Game & Fish, “Conservationist of the Year” Award. He is a member of the Steering Committee for Forest Planning throughout Arizona and is on the Western Governor’s Association panel on animal corridors and connectivity. Mr. Williamson is routinely a panelist on land conservation, water, urban development and wildlife habitat conservation issues.
He recently served on a regional task force focused on improving Arizona’s cultural community and as a member of the Governor’s Youth Development Task Force. An enthusiastic bicyclist, he has traveled widely and supports various youth programs and medical services for disenfranchised people. He is a founding member of the networking organization Be Outdoors Arizona, which is charged with reconnecting people to nature. He currently serves as a director on the boards of the Las Fuentes Medical Center in Guadalupe, Arizona, Arizona Humane Society, Local First Arizona, the Cienega Watershed Partnership, and the Arizona Trust for Public Lands and he is also Past President of the Papago Salado Association board.
Mr. Williamson is an advocate for sustainable community, and sees today’s zoos as places to advocate for integrated relationships between people and nature.