Canopy, with partners Global Aspect Human Capital Advisors and SSA Group, are pleased to share the full report of their research initiative: Understanding Barriers and Opportunities for Women and People of Color in Zoos, Aquariums, and Related Fields.
What makes a great leader? Tiffaney McClendon, Staff Learning and Inclusion Manager at the Birmingham Zoo, shares her tips for professional growth and supporting emerging leaders.
Cara Treadway, Vice President of Mission, Guest, and Community Engagement at the Philadelphia Zoo, talks about her personal leadership journey.
As mission-driven organizations, we talk a lot about sustainability and ‘green’ buildings, but are we really up for a challenge? Unlike other building certifications, the Living Building Challenge doesn’t stop at energy efficiency. It demands sustainability from the ground up, generating surplus energy and benefiting communities and environments in extraordinary ways.
Canopy was honored to present an invited keynote address at the WAZA 78th annual conference in San Diego. Vice President Lori Perkins and Senior Consultant Jackie Ogden, PhD, were joined by Kyle Lundby, PhD, of Global Aspect Human Capital Advisors in a presentation titled “Trends in People and Culture: What the Research Tells Us.” The WAZA conference offered a wonderful opportunity for networking and social connection, and we were fortunate to be able to connect with partners, colleagues, clients, and friends throughout the week.
Watch to hear the perspectives of nine international zoo and aquarium leaders on the future of leadership. Listen in to hear how Denise Verret, Karen Fifield, Lee Ehmke, Clément Lanthier, Judy Mann-Lang, Maria Clara Dominguez, Dolf DeJong, Martín Zordan, and Sunny Nelson think leadership will and needs to change.
Lisa Marie Avendaño, Bronx Zoo’s Deputy Director shares her insights into what makes a great leader and her personal leadership journey.
Sprina Liu, Senior Curator of Birds and Ectotherms at the Dallas Zoo, embodies the honest and empathetic leadership skills that our profession is coming to recognize as crucial to our future success.
Canopy’s Business Analyst, Gabe Buckley, uses our Audience Analytics Platform to dive into the question ‘does this intense heat drive away visitors to zoos and botanic gardens, while concentrating visitors at indoor venues like aquariums?’
Dr. Mandi Schook, Science Operations Director at Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment, shares her perspectives on creating a sense of inspiration and connection to mission for all team members.
Succession planning doesn’t have to be cumbersome if you approach the process with foresight, preparedness, and collaboration. Dr. Jackie Ogden shares five lessons to help leaders navigate the responsibility of succession planning with clarity and ease.
Duane Hills is the Deputy Director at Cameron Park Zoo and a cohort member of AZA’s 2025 Executive Leadership Development Program. We chatted with Duane about his experience in the program thus far, his career journey and leadership goals, and his perspectives on the future of our field.
Meet Chris Conner: Z&A leader, PhD candidate, and one of Canopy’s sponsored participants in the 2025 Advancing Minority Leadership in Aquariums & Zoos Program.
Canopy is proud to be sponsoring the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ 2025 Ted A. Beattie Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) and supporting the advancement of leaders in our field. We connected with current and former program participants to hear about their leadership journeys, including what drives them as leaders, the most valuable lessons they’ve learned, and what they envision for the future of the Z&A field.
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