Admin Staff Animal Mgmt Education Staff
ADMIN STAFF
Biruk Weldhana - Operations Director
Biruk Weldhana is Operations Director at The Oakland Zoo. He has been providing a work environment and programs to attract and retain an exceptional, diverse workforce, as well as being committed to the collective success of the Zoo. As Director of Operations for Oakland Zoo, Biruk oversees guest services, Gift Shop, Food Service and the Rides area. Prior to joining Oakland Zoo, Biruk was a Project Director at Compassion International, a non-profit organization helping poor and orphaned children with their education and daily needs. Biruk completed his degree at San Francisco State University - School of Business with a major in Accounting.
Bob Westfall - Director of Park Services
Bob Westfall is the Director of Park Services. He is responsible for overseeing Public Safety/Security, Maintenance, Grounds, Janitorial, and Horticulture. Bob has witnessed countless improvements during his 25 year affiliation with the Zoo and feels his motivation is fueled by the on-going renovation and expansion. He has an extensive background in Park Safety, Law Enforcement, Contract Security Operations, and Loss Prevention Management. His former employers include the Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation as well as the Oakland Police Department before joining the Zoo eight years ago. He is committed to the professioinal development of Zoo personnel and enhancing the level of service they provide.
Dr. Joel Parrott - Executive Director
Dr. Joel Parrott, Executive Director of the Oakland Zoo received his BS and DVM degrees from Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado. Born in the Adirondack region of New York State, Dr. Parrott spent his high school years in Miami, Florida before moving to Colorado to attend college. Upon graduation from veterinary school, he completed an internship at the Denver Zoo and later went into private practice in Castro Valley, California. His specialty is exotic animals and he was a consulting veterinarian for the Oakland Zoo until 1984, when he became the Staff Veterinarian and Assistant Director. A year later, he became the Executive Director at the Oakland Zoo. Dr. Parrott has overseen many new developments at the Zoo in the past twenty three years. An avid conservationist and naturalist, he views the role of zoos as instrumental to environmental education.
Eric Maul - Membership Manager
Eric Maul joined the Oakland Zoo in July of 2007. He is working to grow community support through our membership program, while helping to connect members to wildlife. As the Membership Manager, Eric oversees all aspects of the membership program including on-site sales, direct mail solicitation, renewals, online newsletters, member events, and in-store gift card programs. Prior to joining Oakland Zoo, Eric was the Director of Membership and Annual Giving at the San Francisco Zoo, and worked at the San Francisco SPCA, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and the Sierra Club. Eric completed his degree at California State University, Fresno – with a major in Plant Science – he’s an avid gardener. After earning his degree, Eric attended the University of San Francisco, School of Professional Studies and earned his Development Director Certificate.
Nancy Filippi - Director, Marketing
Nancy Filippi joined the Oakland Zoo in the summer of 2006 as the Director of Marketing. Since 1980 Nancy has worked with Fortune 500 companies focusing on brand development, new product launch campaigns, promotional marketing and advertising. Her experience spans from national director of marketing / media / advertising with a major broadcast company to alliance relationship management, leveraged media promotions in television, radio and print for worldwide theme parks. She has developed consumer-based programs providing informed product awareness, charted the course of newly introduced national products, industry offerings, package design, shelf-space proclivity, sales campaigns, creative marketing and advertising campaign development. A recipient of numerous awards in the consumer packaged goods industry, as well as the "Legacy Award" from the "Business Women's Network" in Washington, D.C., Nancy holds a B.A. in Business with an emphasis in Marketing.
Nik Haas-Dehejia - Director of Strategic Initiatives
Nik Haas-Dehejia is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Oakland Zoo. In this position, Nik is responsible for championing a number of initiatives that will help create the most exciting and educational cultural attraction in Northern California. These include project planning new exhibits, engaging in strategic planning, and advancing environmentally-friendly initiatives. Nik started his career in non-profits, working in international public policy at the World Resources Institute and World Bank and corporate responsibility at Business for Social Responsibility. After developing and growing a program that helps social entrepreneurs' access capital, Nik moved to the commercial world at Levi Strauss & Co. Nik holds an MBA from U.C. Berkeley and an undergraduate from Vassar College. A 10-year resident in the Bay Area and a father of two, Nik lives in Oakland.
Randi Meyer - Director of Conservation & Education
Randi Meyer joined the Oakland Zoo in July, 2005 as the Director of Conservation & Education where she is utilizing her extensive background in such diverse fields as primatology, archeology, anthropology, education and community outreach. While enrolled at the University of South Florida, where she pursued a double major in Anthropology and Humanities, Randi took a position as a field technician at the Florida Marine Research Institute. During this time, she moved into the field of zoo education at the Lowry Park Zoological Gardens in Tampa, where she worked as an instructor, curriculum specialist, and outreach coordinator. After receiving her degree, she continued her work in the field of research, studying wild orangutans in Borneo with renowned primatologist Birute Galdikas. Randi has also participated in several extended field studies in archeology and anthropology, working in Asia and Africa as well as here in the US. By the late 90s, she was involved in museum science program management as well as aquarium education in the Tampa area before settling in North Carolina, as the education director at an outdoor science education school. Here at the Oakland Zoo Randi continues to increase public participation in the zoo's educational programs, offering new innovative programs targeting outreach involving families, scout groups and schools.
ANIMAL MANAGEMENT - KEEPERS
Colleen Kinzley - Curator
Colleen Kinzley is the Curator at the Oakland Zoo. In this position she manages the Animal Department and makes plans for new animals and exhibits. Colleen started her career at the Phoenix Zoo in 1983 working with elephants among other animals. In 1990 she came to the Oakland Zoo as the manager of the Zoo's elephant program. Colleen leads the Zoo's efforts in elephant research and conservation. She hosts the Zoo's annual Celebrating Elephants events raising awareness and support for elephants in the wild. She also participates in research both here at the Zoo and in Namibia studying elephant communication and social behavior.
Dr. Andrea Goodnight - Associate Veterinarian
Dr. Andrea Goodnight is the Associate Veterinarian at the Oakland Zoo. From cleaning a tiger's teeth to bandaging a bird's broken wing, she and the zoo's other veterinarian are responsible for the healthcare of all the animals in the collection. There is still much to learn about many of the “exotic” animals, so zoo veterinarians must be creative problem solvers, drawing on knowledge of domestic species in order to treat their patients. Dr. Goodnight enjoys this aspect of her job, noting that every day is a learning experience. She began her zoo veterinary training while still a student, spending her summers working at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. After graduating from veterinary school in 2001, she continued her training as an intern at Rowley Memorial Animal Hospital, learning the latest techniques in small animal medicine, surgery and emergency medicine. Next she completed zoo internships at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama and the Indianapolis Zoo from 2002-2004. She then went on to complete a zoo medicine residency at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio before joining the Oakland Zoo in 2006. She is very excited to be in California and hopes to contribute to the Oakland Zoo's conservation and education mission!
Dr. Karen A. Emanuelson - Director of Veterinary Services
Karen A. Emanuelson, DVM, earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physiology in 1982 from the University of California Davis; and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree (DVM) from the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1986. She completed a zoological medicine internship at Whipsnade Zoo, Zoological Society of London, England. She also was co-owner of Cottage Veterinary Hospital, a mixed exotic and wildlife practice in California, for 7 years. She has served as a faculty clinician at the UC Davis Zoological Medicine Service while working concurrently with the Oakland Zoo. Dr. Emanuelson is a member of several organizations, including the American Association of Zoological Veterinarians, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Wildlife Disease Association, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She is a representative to the Giant Panda Species Survival Program of the AZA. Dr. Emanuelson has been associated with the Oakland Zoo since 1987; she joined the zoo full-time in 2000; currently she is the Director of Veterinary Services and Research at the Oakland Zoo.
Eunice Hui - Lead Keeper
Eunice Hui joined the Oakland zoo as a Lead Keeper in May, 2006. She started her wildlife experience by volunteering in a wildlife rehabilitation center called Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward, CA. Eunice earned a Bachelors of Science degree majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of California, Davis. While attending college, she gained experience working with raptors at the UC Davis Raptor center. After college, she began working at Butterfly World in Marine World Africa, USA in Vallejo. Wanting to pursue more hands-on experience in working with wildlife, she became the shelter manager for a south bay wildlife rehabilitation center, The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. Eunice has also worked at Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education as a lead keeper where she gained further experience in zookeeping, conservation and education.
Jeff Kinzley - Elephant Manager
Jeff Kinzley is the Elephant Manager at the Oakland Zoo. In this position he is responsible for the care of the Zoo's African elephant herd. Jeff coordinates training of the elephants in our Protected Contact management system using positive reinforcement. This allows the staff to provide husbandry and veterinary care to insure the elephant's health. Jeff also oversees the elephant's enrichment and exercise making sure that the elephants are kept active and engaged in natural behavior patterns. Jeff began as an elephant keeper at the Oakland Zoo in 1996. He took a position at the San Diego Zoo in 2000 working with their elephants. He returned to the Oakland Zoo in 2003 to manage the elephant program. Under Jeff's leadership a browse keeper position was developed ensuring that the elephants and other Zoo animals have ample tree branches for forage.
EDUCATION STAFF
Amy Gotliffe - Conservation Program Manager
Amy Gotliffe is a Detroit transplant, enjoying the good Bay Area life for 15 years. She has a degree in communications, holds several teaching credentials and has a Masters Degree in Environmental Education. She has worked at various Bay Area educational and environmental institutions, teaching second grade, working on campaigns, planting pollinator gardens, producing earth day events and generally spreading the word about wildlife and green living. At the Oakland Zoo she serves as the Conservation Manager, coordinating international, national and local conservation efforts, producing a Conservation Speaker Series and an Earth Day event, teaching programs and coordinating the zoo’s on-site green efforts. Amy is passionate about wildlife issues across the globe, but mostly those in our own Bay Area backyard. On her list of other passions are travel, photography, music and the lindy hop.
Felicia Walker - Outreach Coordinator / Education Specialist
TBC
Jaclyn Hope - Education Specialist
Jaclyn Hope is a Philadelphia native who moved to the Bay Area in 2005. Five months after moving she started the docent training program at the zoo. She graduated in the class of 06 and was a docent for about a year before becoming part time staff in the Education Department. She teaches an array of programs and was a ZooCamp teacher over the summer. Currently she coordinates Educational Birthday Parties and Home School Events. Aside from working at the zoo, Jaclyn attends Diablo Valley College full-time and owns an airbrush face and body painting company. She enjoys hiking, backyard bonfires with her family and writing short stories and children’s books.
Jamie Lattau - Education Specialist
In winter 2004, Jamie Lettau packed away her snow suit and left cold and snowy Wisconsin for sunny California. She was hired as a ZooCamp teacher in the summer of 2005. Known as "Captain Ladybug" to campers, she enjoyed singing silly songs, playing games, creating interesting crafts, and teaching about the animals. At the end of summer she was hired on full time as an Education Specialist. In addition to teaching a variety of programs she designs promotional materials for the vairous programs that the Education Department offers. She is currently learning Spanish and hopes to teach classes in Spanish in 2008.
Jessica Klieman - Education Specialist
Jessica Klieman works as an Education Specialist at the Oakland Zoo. Jessica received her degree in Zoology from San Francisco State University in May 2005. Before joining the Oakland Zoo she volunteered at a Wildlife Shelter Inc. in Homewood, California across the street from beautiful Lake Tahoe. In search to find a job in the field, she began another internship at the Oakland Zoo. She was so excited to be able to intern on the string with the Lion, Tiger, Camel, Bison, and Elk keepers. These are the animals she has such a passion for. In Feb of 2006 she became the relief keeper of the education animals, and in May 2006 also became a part time educator (teaching programs). In March of 2007 she became a full time Education specialist. Jessica is responsible for teaching a wide range of programs, oversees the Wildlife Theater program, and ZooKids Programs. In her free time she designs and makes custom birthday and wedding cakes, loves to scrapbook, and enjoys photography.
Lisa O'Dwyer - Volunteer Program Coordinator
Lisa O’Dwyer joined the Oakland Zoo in 2006 as the Docent/Volunteer Coordinator. She is responsible for recruiting, coordinating, and evaluating the Volunteer, Zoo Ambassador, and Docent programs as well as teaching on-site ZooSchool and off-site ZooMobile programs. Lisa finds it refreshing to work with staff and volunteers that are so dedicated to the zoo's mission and truly love what they do. Before joining the Oakland Zoo, she spent 10 years as a Social Services Designee and Volunteer Director at a hospital. Her husband and two daughters find her current job much more interesting! In her rare moments of spare time, Lisa volunteers with various charities such as Camp Okizu, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Cancer Society.
Melinda Sievert - Teen Program Coordinator / Education Specialist
TBC
Sarah Cramer - ZooCamp Director / Education Specialist
Having always been fascinated by animals, Sarah spent her high school summers volunteering with the camp program at Marine World Africa USA in Vallejo, CA. After earning a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College, in Minnesota, she decided to return home to the Bay Area. Prior to the Oakland Zoo, Sarah worked in research studies, spending time with sea turtles in Florida and salmon in Marin County, but she really missed working with kids. She completed an internship with the National Park Service in the Marin Headlands (where she still volunteers) and worked for both the Bay Area Discovery Museum and Six Flags Marine World before joining the Oakland Zoo in 2002. In 2007, she helped redesign the Oakland Zoo’s Docent Training Program, and she also became ZooCamp Director of the Summer Camp program. Sarah enjoys teaching Zoo Ambassador, ZooMobile, ZooSchool, overnight and scout programs, but really loves ZooCamp the most! Off Zoo grounds, you might find her leading hikes to the Point Bonita Lighthouse or snowshoeing in the Sierras.
Trinity Leiser - Education Specialist / Overnight Programs Coordinator
Trinity joined the Oakland Zoo education staff in February 2007. In addition to coordinating Girl Scout and overnight programs she also assists in all other education aspects of the zoo including teaching ZooSchool classes and going out into the community on zoomobile programs. Trinity graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2004 with a Bachelors degree in Psychology. While attending college she worked part-time in the education department at the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth. After college she moved to Northern California to work as an animal trainer at Six Flags Marine World. After 2 years of working with exotic animals, Trinity decided she wanted to help wildlife by educating others in a different setting. Her dream job came true when Trinity was hired by the education department at the Oakland Zoo. Trinity’s other interests include theater (attending and performing), anything having to do with music, horseback riding, SCUBA diving, and exploring the great outdoors of California with her husband, Andy, and their dog, Mae.
