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Contact: Gina Stiles, Marketing, 904-757-4463, ext. 210; cell: 655-3632

COMMUNITY LEADER ANN BAKER NAMED BOARD CHAIR

OF JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND GARDENS

New Board of Directors’ Officers and Board Members Announced

November 8, 2007, Jacksonville, FL – Today the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens announced the election of its 2007/2008 Board Chair, Ann Baker.  Ann is well known for her involvement in Jacksonville’s philanthropic and gardening communities and has been a Zoo Board Member for the past two years.  As Vice Chair of the Gardens Committee and a member of the Capital Campaign Committee, she has contributed both talent and treasure in fundraising for the Zoo and Gardens.  Our newest addition is the Gardens at Trout River Plaza, which opened in September 2007. 

Other Executive Committee officers elected to serve for the new fiscal year are John Hayt, member-at-large and former Chair; Lou Fouts, secretary; Lewis Lee, Jr., treasurer; Pamela Phillips, Of Counsel; Misty Skipper, Mayoral Appointee; Martha Baker; Carl Cannon; David Loeb; W Radford Lovett; and Dori Walton.

Other Board members include: Immediate past Chair of the Board and Executive Committee Member Howard Coker, Pierre Allaire, J. F. Bryan, Terry Derreberry, Jack Diamond, Matthew Fairbain, Wayne Givens, Wilfredo Gonzalez, Donald Harris, Janet Healy, Wanyonyi Kendrick, Rosa Maria King, Josh McGraw, Kenyon Merritt, Tim Payne, Honorable John Peyton, Dean Piacente, Brooke Stein, Heather Surface, Jon Thompson, and Kathryn Umberger.

The Zoo’s Board of Directors is responsible for the operation and overall management of the zoo.  They play a key role in fundraising and bring specialized experience in finance, legal services, management, medical services, education, marketing, and planning and building to the management of the Zoo.   

“The experience and background that each board member brings to the Zoo’s Board of Directors will be extremely beneficial as we continue to develop and aggressively grow the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens,” remarked Ann Baker, Chair of the Board. 

For over 90 years, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has been dedicated to inspiring the discovery and appreciation of wildlife through innovative experience in a caring environment.  Starting in 1914 with an animal collection that consisted of one red deer fawn, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has grown to house more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 unique plant species.  The Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  Located on Jacksonville’s north side two miles off I-95, the Zoo is open year-round, 7 days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  The Zoo is open until 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays from March to Labor Day. For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.