Nashville Zoo's mission is... To inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership.
Nashville Zoo is a progressive and dynamic zoological park located just 6 miles south of downtown Nashville. With just 90 of 188 acres developed, Nashville Zoo is the 9th largest zoo in the country by landmass. The Zoo is one of the top tourist attractions in the state and has been named the Best Regional Attraction and Best Day Trip by The Tennessean.
History
Since opening its doors in 1991, Nashville Zoo has grown from a small, private operation located 30 minutes northwest of Nashville to an AZA-accredited facility that welcomes more than one million visitors each year, while being involved with international conservation and research efforts to save threatened species.
The Zoo moved to its current 188-acre location in 1997 and has developed just under half of its land, which was generously donated to the city by the Croft family under a condition that it had to be used as a ‘nature study area’. City leaders struck a 40-year lease with Nashville Zoo in which the land would be city-owned but operated by the Zoo’s private non-profit organization.
Visionary Leadership
Zoo President & CEO, Rick Schwartz
Rick Schwartz has been heavily involved in conservation for almost thirty years and is known internationally for his devotion to saving clouded leopards. Since lending his expertise to a group of Nashvillians building a local zoo in 1989, he has been the director and primary architect of Nashville Zoo - building facilities, designing the exhibits and working extensively with other zoos throughout the country to develop the outstanding collection of species represented at Nashville Zoo.
Zoo Senior Management Team
Rick Schwartz – President and Chief Executive Officer
David Oehler – Vice President
Andy Tillman – Chief Operating Officer
Kim Pridgen – Chief Finance Officer
Jami Geselle – Chief Human Resources Officer
Beth Bush – Chief Development Officer
Board of Directors
Butch Spyridon – Chairman*
Rick Schwartz – Zoo President & CEO*
Terry Bruggeman – Secretary*
Ryan Flury – Treasurer*
Vandana Abramson, Brent Allred, David Baier, Lee Beaman, Wesley Belden, Meg Crofton, Katie Crumbo*, Lauren Curry, Adam Dretler*, Laurie Eskind*, Randy Fagin, Tony Giarratana, Alice Goldberg, Ed Goodrich*, Jessica Govic, Scott Hamilton, Diane Holloway, Patrick Johnson, Rhonda Scott Kinslow, Ken Levitan, Pam Martin, Trish Munro, Stacey Nickens*, Wilson Patton, Michael Peacock*, Laurie Seabury*, John Weisenseel, Larry Wieck*
Ex-Officio Board Members: Deana Ivey – President & CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Monique Horton Odom – Director, Metro Board of Parks and Recreation
*Executive Committee Member
Advisory Directors
George Armistead III, Cynthia Arnholt, Samantha Boyd, Mike Bracken, Neely Coble III, Kelly Crockett, Missy Eason, Lily Followill, Jennifer Frist, Karyn Frist, Jimmy Granbery, Chris Holmes, Mark Johnson, Kent Kirby, David Manning, Jason Maxedon, Richard McRae, Karen Moore, Sandra Morgan, Larry Papel, Robin Patton, Brian Smallwood, Alex Sollberger, Charles Sonnenberg, Richard Speer, Barbara Turner, Kimberly Williams-Paisley
Reports & Statements
