Oakland Zoo Executive Team

As a 19-year veteran of Oakland Zoo, Nik Dehejia brings deep institutional knowledge and visionary leadership to his role as Chief Executive Officer. His passion for wildlife conservation and commitment to creating an exceptional visitor experience have been instrumental in shaping Oakland Zoo into the thriving organization it is today.

Under Nik’s leadership, the Zoo has launched an ambitious Strategic Plan and ConservationStrategy — both anchored in a bold vision of creating a flourishing planet where people and wildlife thrive together. His ability to align mission with action was evident in one of the Zoo’s most transformative projects that doubled Oakland Zoo’s footprint: the California Trail, an $80 million initiative that included the opening of the Veterinary Hospital (2012) and the California Trail itself (2017–2018).

Nik serves on numerous community and conservation-focused boards, including Visit Oakland, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Rotary, 100 Club, OutdoorAfro, and Regional Parks Foundation. Nationally, he contributes his industry expertise to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), where he serves as an accreditation inspector and is a member of the Ethics Board, Trends Committee, and Honors and Awards Committee.

With a professional background spanning international policy at the World Resources Institute and World Bank, corporate responsibility at Business for Social Responsibility, and commercial experience at Levi Strauss & Co., Nik brings a unique blend of mission-driven strategy and business acumen to his role.

Nik holds an MBA from UC Berkeley and a BA from Vassar College. A 29-year Bay Area resident, he ist he proud father of two college-aged children. His leadership continues to drive Oakland Zoo’s mission forward—strengthening community partnerships, enhancing financial sustainability, and deepening the organization’s commitment to animal welfare and conservation.

Nikki Van Ausdall is a seasoned communications and engagement executive with more than two decades of experience leading strategic marketing, fundraising and program initiatives for mission‑driven organizations. As Chief Communications and Engagement Officer for the Oakland Zoo, Nikki oversees revenue, membership, marketing, education and volunteer efforts that advance the Zoo’s commitment to taking action for wildlife.

Throughout her career, Nikki has built a reputation for transforming complex organizational goals into community action. She previously served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the YMCA of the East Bay, wheres he developed multi‑channel strategies that boosted membership and launched innovative digital platforms to meet evolving community needs.

Before her work with the YMCA, Nikki spent more than a decade with Girl Scouts of Northern California and the Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area in senior communications and development roles. There, she led high‑profile brand campaigns, secured major fundraising support for underserved communities, and managed crisis communications.

Nikki’s leadership is rooted in a passion for conservation and creating engaging guest experiences. She is known for mentoring high‑performing teams, fostering cross‑sector partnerships, and driving initiatives that connect communities to meaningful causes.

A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in English Literature and Business Administration, Nikki has spent the last 30 years in the Bay Area proudly raising her two sons. Her commitment to the community and Oakland Zoo’s mission continue to drive the impact of the organization in the Bay Area and beyond.

Every adventure to Oakland Zoo is an insightfully-choreographed encounter designed by Michelle and her team and executed in collaboration with every department to achieve one goal:to positively connect visitors to the Zoo with nature by offering experiences that will last a lifetime.

A former member of Actor’s Equity with an extensive background in theater and in visitor engagement at such high-profile vacation spots, Michelle works with her team to make every moment in the park magical. This requires not only creativity in design and story, but a clear focus on the value of the individuals who make those ideas a reality. Michelle works to develop professional growth opportunities for her team, from staff to volunteers to docents.

Michelle’s ultimate goal is to utilize her background and her fellow Leadership Team members to cultivate an amazing group of individuals and whose passion and personalities shine for everyone welcomed into the Oakland Zoo family.

Colleen Kinzley directs the Zoo's animal care, wildlife conservation, and research programs. In this role, Colleen has driven a cycle of continuous growth and improvement for animal welfare at the Zoo. This means she also helps a staff of over 50 people responsible for habitats and animal welfare to continuously grow their understanding of what makes a healthy and emotionally-positive environment for all animals. Under her guidance, Oakland Zoo has become known for its spacious habitats and behavior management programs which provide animals with freedom of choice and control over their environment.

In 1990, Colleen came to Oakland Zoo as the manager of the Zoo's elephant program, transitioning it into a protected contact system where keepers only use positive reinforcement with elephants and are always protected by a barrier. During her time at the Zoo, she has overseen the development of the African Savanna, Children's Zoo, California Trail, expansion of the elephant habitat, as well as construction or remodeling of many other habitats to continually improve animal experience.

While earning her Master's degree from Cal State East Bay, she participated in research both at the Zoo and in Namibia studying elephant communication and social behavior. Colleen’s commitment to vital research relationships deepens the Zoo’s ties to research facilities, animal welfare advocates and leaders in the conservation of animals in the wild.

Amy Gotliffe has a mission to connect human beings to nature, envisioning a planet where all species live in peaceful co-existence, which makes her a perfect fit for Oakland Zoo.

With certifications in humane education, nature-based leadership, conservation psychology, human-wildlife conflict resolution, nature interpretation and influencing conservation behavior change, Amy’s work at the Zoo focuses on reconnecting people with our sense of belonging to the natural world and better understanding our impact on it.

As VP of Conservation at Oakland Zoo, she coordinates events and projects to meet the conservation goals of the Zoo around the world and in the Bay Area. These efforts range from building a Conservation Speaker Series, to leading international conservation expeditions to producing awareness events to coordinating the Zoo's on-site sustainability efforts. Amy drives massive and enthusiastic, inter-departmental efforts to conserve biodiversity around the globe and in our own backyards.