President: Brandi Taylor
Denver Zoo: Animal Care Specialist - Carnivores, Started in 2018
Years with AAZK: 6
Previous Zoos: Zoo Tampa (internship) and Busch Gardens Tampa (graduate research)
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: It’s so hard to pick just one! My favorite part of being a zookeeper is training with the animals, so I’d probably have to pick the first behavior I ever trained, which was a roll behavior with our female sea lion, Ady. The moment she finally had that “ah-ha” moment and did it for the first time was pretty awesome! I think it is such a fun and exciting challenge to find ways to communicate with animals that don’t share our language.
Favorite Animal Fact: The spot patterns on whale sharks are as unique as human fingerprints. The same algorithm that astronomers use to identify stars is being used to identify individual whale sharks through their spot patterns! With this information, scientists are starting to gain a better understanding of whale shark populations numbers, habitat ranges and migration patterns.
Vice President: Kirstin Prunchak
Denver Zoo: Animal Care Specialist - Primates, Started in 2022
Years with AAZK: 10
Previous Zoos: The Wilds, Birmingham Zoo, Niabi Zoo, and Lee Richardson Zoo
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: Too many amazing memories to pick just one! Starting a daily goat walk with our herd of about 15 goats, watching fennec fox babies grow up and getting blood from some of our apes for the first time
Favorite Animal Fact: Sloth bears can close their nostrils, so they don't get bugs and dirt in their nose when they're eating from insect mounds.
Treasurer: Disa Peery
Denver Zoo: Lead Animal Care Specialist - Nights, Started in 2016
Years with AAZK: 10
Previous Zoos: Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, America’s Teaching Zoo
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: Crating “Smeagol” the Aye-Aye for his move to the exhibit next door and getting head-hugs from “Sekele” the Okapi
Favorite Animal Fact: Okapi calves don't poop until they're 1-2 months old.
Secretary: Megan Grady
Denver Zoo: Lead Animal Care Specialist- Hoofstock, Started in 2022
Years with AAZK: 7
Previous Zoos: Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, Milwaukee Zoo, (Phoenix Zoo for a very short time)
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: Moving our gerenuk Betty in the with the kudu herd, and seeing her get a bath from Eleanor 3 days later
Favorite Animal Fact: : The Egyptian fruit bat is unique among bats because it is a fruit bat that echolocates AND it uses its tongue to do so, rather than its larynx, which is the method used by most microchiroptera/insectivorous bats.
Communications Officer: Christa Klein
Denver Zoo: Animal Care Specialist - Float, Started in 2018
Years with AAZK: 13
Previous Zoos: Sacramento Zoo
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: So many to pick from, but one of my favorites is when Vet Tech Eva and I successfully drew blood from Tundra the grizzly bear – this marked the first time that blood was drawn from a bear though voluntary training at the Denver Zoo.
Favorite Animal Fact: Orangutans have the longest childhood of any animal except humans- babies remain with their mothers for 8-12 years. Since they’ll have to fend for themselves, moms need to teach their kids all the important life skills they will need to survive in the wild, such as where to find food, what other animals are a threat to them, how to find shelter, build their nests, plus much more.
Downtown Aquarium Liaison: Erin Bridgewater
Downtown Aquarium: Biologist II - Aquarist, Started in 2014
Years with AAZK: 2
Previous Facilities: SeaLife Kansas City, Shedd Aquarium
Favorite Aquarist Moment: My favorite part of being an aquarist is diving and spending time with our animals in their environment. I love seeing how well adapted each individual is to their natural habitat, and being able to get up close to them and observe each unique characteristic is something I really cherish each time I dive.
Favorite Animal Fact: There are over 300 species of octopus, and they are found in every ocean on Earth. The smallest are under an inch and weigh less than a gram when fully grown, while others grow up to 30 feet. The largest recorded specimen was roughly 600 pounds.
Denver Zoo Liaison: An Nguyen
Denver Zoo: Animal Care Specialist - Carnivores, Started in 2023 (previously worked at Denver Zoo: 2016 - 2021)
Years with AAZK: 10
Previous Zoos: Memphis Zoo, Downtown Aquarium Denver, Wildlife Safari (Winston), Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife West
Favorite Zoo Keeping Moment: I’ve been a zookeeper for over 20 years, and choosing just one favorite moment is nearly impossible. I’ve witnessed animal births, helped raise ambassador cheetahs, played tug-of-war with lions, and created countless memories with incredible coworkers—both past and present.
Favorite Animal Fact: One of my favorite animal facts is that the American pronghorn is the second fastest land mammal, reaching speeds of up to 55 mph—but what’s even cooler is why it’s so fast. Scientists believe it evolved its incredible speed to escape the now-extinct American cheetah, a powerful predator that once roamed North America. Though the cheetah disappeared around 10,000 years ago, the pronghorn never lost its need for speed.