Get to Know Lisa New, 99th AZA Board Chair
As the incoming Board Chair for AZA it is important for me to have a space where we can all come together to collaborate. My intention is to provide this space to keep you updated on priorities and allow you to share feedback throughout my year as Board Chair. I am incredibly honored to be in this position and look forward to working alongside all of you.
About Me
There is a guiding principle that resonates deeply with me – Ikigai. It’s a Japanese concept that aids in aligning our passion, profession, vocation and mission. If you’re good at it, if the world needs it, you get paid for it, that’s not just a livelihood, that’s your purpose, that’s your mission.
In college I discovered my interest in wildlife biology. Unexpected circumstances opened the door for to me to be able to explore the oceans through internships researching spinner dolphins and humpback whales. While deciding what to do with my life, I volunteered and was later hired at Zoo Knoxville. While working in animal care I had the opportunity to hand-raise two orphaned chimpanzees, Mugsy and Lu. That experience changed the trajectory of my life. I decided rather than pursuing a life in academia and on the ocean, I’d instead focus my attention on great apes and how they might thrive under our care.
In 2013, I became the 5th zoo director of Zoo Knoxville. Since then our team has been able to turn our zoo around from one that was given provisional accreditation status, struggling with debt and infrastructure decline, to one that has experienced significant growth.
Priorities
1.) Wellbeing of Our Animals
Animals are who we are, and we are devoted to the wellbeing of animals everywhere. AZA’s new wellbeing initiative launched last year under the leadership of Dr. Scott Terrell.
In supporting that plan, we affirmed that the wellbeing of animals is both our moral responsibility and foundational to AZA’s mission.
I ask you to think about that concept not just from the perspective of individual animals but to entire populations and their long term sustainability in our care.
Many of our populations are facing crisis, and the only way to a sustainable future is a paradigm shift.
2.) Wellbeing of Our Guests (AZA’s 5th Promise)
We aspire to be places where our guests feel safe, seen, heard and respected. Zoos and aquariums for everyone.
Safety is not just a physical attribute, but an emotional sanctuary where all can explore and learn without fear.
To be seen means representation, not just in demographics and advertising, but in our stories and our staff. Regardless of how you identify in the world, you see others who look like you.
We understand that not everyone experiences the world in the same way and it’s by training through partners like Kulture City and listening to our neurodivergent guests we can make simple but thoughtful changes.
Respect is the cornerstone of this promise. We respect the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures that create a richer, more relatable ecosystem. It’s critical our local communities are at the table where decisions are made.
Belonging is a word that carries immense weight. We don’t merely want our visitors to feel welcome; we want them to feel that they belong. In our spaces, in our purpose, and in our shared dreams for a better future.
3.) Wellbeing of Our Staff
Our teams are the bedrock upon which our entire endeavor rests. Just as we want our animals to be happy, healthy and thriving, we realize that our teams need care, too.
If we don’t invest in and train today’s front line staff, we risk losing the historical and collective expertise of our institutions. This knowledge is the very lifeblood of our animal programs – SAFE, SSPS, Aquatic Sustainability. As we care for animals throughout their circle of life, and we foster a culture where the wellbeing of our team is cherished, we align with the very essence of Ikigai– what we love, what the world needs, what we are good at, and what we can be paid for.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I’m honored to serve as your chair.
