AMZAP NETWORK- WEST

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington

Our AMZAP Professional members are listed below. Click on the highlighted green names to view a member's biography, photo, and LinkedIn page, if included. Head back to the Network page to see members from other states.

Looking to contact a member and learn more about what they do? Send us an email and we'll put you in touch! Learn more about our mentorship program as well.

Are you a current professional in an accredited facility? Learn more about joining the AMZAP network.

Arrion Williams with an orca.

Alaska

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
Alaska SeaLife Center	Mammologist I	Jasmine Collier	Black
Alaska SeaLife Center	President and CEO	Tara Riemer	White

Arizona

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
OdySea Aquarium	Education Manager	Hassan Bayyan	Black
OdySea Aquarium at Arizona Boardwalk	Director of Human Resources	TJ Lowery	Black
Odysea Aquarium	Director of Animal Care & Conservation	Dave Peranteau	White
Phoenix Zoo	Senior Vice President of Conservation and Education	Ruth Allard	White
Phoenix Zoo	Animal Curator	Drew Foster	Caucasian
Phoenix Zoo	Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Leadership Training	William Hart	White
Phoenix Zoo	Director of Education	Gabby Hebert	White
Phoenix Zoo	Digital Communications Specialist	McKenna Nischke	White
Phoenix Zoo	Conservation Technician II	Reena Patrose	Indian
Phoenix Zoo	Director of Events and Group Sales	Christopher Ramos	Mexican American
Phoenix Zoo	Primate Keeper I	Bri Tomooka	Chinese/Japanese/Native Hawaiian
Phoenix Zoo	Associate Veterinarian	Margarita Woc-Colburn	Latina
Phoenix Zoo/Midwestern University	Clinical Assistant Professor and Veterinarian	Alexandra Goe	White
Reid Park Zoological Society	Executive Assistant	Anna Ulibarri	Mexican American

California

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
America's Teaching Zoo	Instructor, Exotic Animal Training & Management	Gary Mui	Chinese American
America's Teaching Zoo	Registered Veterinary Technician	Lauren Nickerson	African American
America's Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College	Zoo Development Coordinator	Mara Rodriguez	Mexican American
Aquarium of the Pacific	Director of Learning and Public Engagement	Emily Yam	Asian
Birch Aquarium	Chief Operating Officer	Charles Hopper	Black
Birch Aquarium	Seahorse Care and Conservation Aquarist	Mark Yun	Korean
California Academy of Sciences / Steinhart Aquarium	Dive Operations Manager & Diving Safety Officer	Mauritius Valente Bell	Black
California Academy of Sciences / Steinhart Aquarium	Senior Biologist	Steven Yong	Chinese
California Science Center	Aquarist	Albert Chang	Hmong (Asian American)
Charles Paddock Zoo	Lead Animal Keeper and RVT	Flavia Parotti	Brazilian
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Registered Veterinary Technician	Briana Ayala	Latinx
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Conservation Interpretation Assistant Manager	Karen Castro	Mexican
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Conservation Interpreter Presenter	Mayra Chavez	Hispanic
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Lead Animal Keeper (Birds)	Ronnie Kerestus	White
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Manager of Conservation Interpretation	Kate Kyvik	Native American/Indigenous
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Zoo Animal Manager	Courtney McNulty	Choctaw
Fresno Chaffee Zoo	Chief Conservation Education Officer	Dean Watanabe	Japanese / White
Happy Hollow Park & Zoo	Zookeeper	Bryan Jeung	Biracial (Chinese/ White)
Happy Hollow Park Zoo	Wildlife Care Specialist	Darian Fambro	African American
Happy Hollow Zoo	Senior Zoo Keeper	Nathan Andrews	Multiracial (Black/ Japanese/ White)
Los Angeles Zoo	Animal Keeper, Birds	Kimberly Garcia	Hispanic
Los Angeles Zoo	Curator of Equity Initiatives	Rachel Helfing	Biracial (African American/ Jewish)
Los Angeles Zoo	Curator of Education	Rosalio Rubio, Jr.	Mexican-American (Chicano)
Los Angeles Zoo	Chief Executive Officer	Denise Verret	African American
Los Angeles Zoo	Animal Keeper, Research Department	Jill Werner	Caucasian
Monterey Bay Aquarium	Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Internship Program Manager	Edward Allen	Black
Monterey Bay Aquarium	Chief Human Resources Officer	Teresa Merry	Black
Oakland Zoo	Chief Executive Officer	Nik Dehejia	South Asian (India)
Oakland Zoo	Engagement & Employee Development Manager	Dominic Dowdy-Windsor	Multiracial (Western African/British)
Oakland Zoo	Animal Keeper	Eunice Hui	Chinese
Oakland Zoo	Zookeeper, Elephants	Janette Krulick	White
Oakland Zoo	Marketing Manager	Isabella Linares	Puerto Rican
Oakland Zoo	Education Program Manager (Curriculum Development)	Ashley Terry	Multiracial (African American, European American, Native American)
Sacramento Zoo	Chief Operating Officer	Robert Churchill	African American
Sacramento Zoo	Registered Veterinary Technician	Claudia Erreguin	Mexican-American
Sacramento Zoo	Animal Keeper	Jennifer Halbert	Biracial (Irish/ Japanese)
Sacramento Zoo	Director of Animal Care	Matt McKim	White
Sacramento Zoo	Animal Keeper, Primates & Carnivores	Anela Medeiros	Biracial (Native Hawaiian/ White)
Safari West	Lead Primate Keeper	Camille Walters	Filipino
San Diego Zoo	Education Manager	Sarah Barnard	White
San Diego Zoo	Director of Wildlife Care	Misha Body	Chinese/ White
San Diego Zoo	Research Coordinator	Victoria Dunch	Mexican- American
San Diego Zoo	Senior Wildlife Care Specialist	Alex Duran	Mexican
San Diego Zoo	Wildlife Care Associate- Behavior Dept.	Max Hammond	Latino
San Diego Zoo	Educator Guide	Marcel Lammey	Black
San Diego Zoo	Population Biologist	Asako Navarro	Japanese
San Diego Zoo	Wildlife Care Specialist & Ambassador	Marco Polo Preciado Wendt	Latinx / Chicano
San Diego Zoo	Lead Wildlife Specialist- Elephant Odyssey	Thomas Reid	African American
San Diego Zoo Safari Park	Keeper/Wildlife Care Specialist	Arianna Avila	Hispanic
San Diego Zoo Safari Park	Veterinarian (Resident)	Geoffrey (Rob) Browning	Korean
San Diego Zoo Safari Park	Wildlife Care Specialist	Chelsea Davis	Black
San Diego Zoo Safari Park	Wildlife Care Specialist	Zach Martin	African American
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens	Great Ape Zoo Keeper	Selena Medina	Latina/Peruvian
San Francisco Zoo & Gardens	Assistant Curator ARC	Raquel Rojas	Biracial (Bolivian/White)
Santa Barbara Zoo	Animal Keeper	Maureen Morlock	Biracial (Mexican/ White)
Santa Barbra Zoo	Director of Membership	Kimberly Kirkhart	Black
SeaWorld San Diego	Pathology Technician	Ariel Carter	Biracial (Black/ White)
SeaWorld San Diego	Animal Trainer	Arrion Williams	Black
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay	Life Support Systems Specialist	Robert LeSage	Asian/Pacific Islander/Caucasian
The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens	Animal Care Keper	Maki Chapko	Southeast Asian, Cambodian

Colorado

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	Certified Veterinary Technician	Brenda Cordova	Hispanic
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	Animal Keeper, Commissary Relief and Rover	Maria Gomez	Latinx and Native American
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	Outreach Supervisor	Dawn Moon	Caucasian
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo	Community Programs Supervisor	Brittinie Ontiveros	Hispanic and Native American
Denver Zoo	Security Coordinator	Manny Alvarez	Hispanic
Denver Zoo	Curator of Birds	John Azua	Hispanic
Denver Zoo	Animal Keeper, Avian Propagation	Michael Gallegos	Hispanic
Denver Zoo	Youth Engagement Manager	James Garcia	Mexican American
Denver Zoo	Bird Keeper	Claymon Mitchell	Biracial
Denver Zoo	Animal Keeper, Birds	Anton Morrison	Biracial (Black/ White)

Hawaii

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
Honolulu Zoo	Animal Keeper 1- Birds	Veronica Schmidt	Colombian- American

Montana

Job Title	Facility	Name	Ethnicity
Education Specialist and Outreach Coordinator	ZooMontana	Fernanda Mora	Latinx

Facility	Job title	Name	Ethnicity
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay	Life Support Systems Specialist	Robert LeSage	Asian/ Pacific Islander/ Caucasian

Nevada

Oregon

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
Oregon Zoo	Youth Development Supervisor	Danica Person	Black/African American
Oregon Zoo	Head Veterinarian	Carlos Sanchez	Mexican

Utah

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
Hogle Zoo	HR Generalist	Debbie Elcock	White
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium	Digital Marketing Specialist	Mika Miller	Biracial (Japanese/ White)
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium	Corporate Partnerships Account Manager	Jarreau Smith	Black
Tracy Aviary & Botanical Gardens	Conservation Outreach Biologist	Frances Ngo	Biracial (Mexican/ Chinese)

Washington

Facility	Job Title	Name	Ethnicity
Cougar Mountain Zoo	Zookeeper, Marketing and Education Specialist	Jordan Veasley	Black
Seattle Aquarium	Community Partner Program Coordinator and DEI Council Co-Chair	Jasmine Williams	Black
Seattle Aquarium	Senior Marketing Manager	Moira Tamayo	Hispanic
Woodland Park Zoo	Animal Keeper	Rosalyn Bass-Fournier	African American
Woodland Park Zoo	Empathy Collaborative Coordinator	Ariana Dorshkind	Costa Rican-American
Woodland Park Zoo	Director of Empathy Initiatives	Ivel Gontan	Latina/ Cuban American
Woodland Park Zoo	Animal Keeper	Allison Kennedy	White
Woodland Park Zoo	Evaluation Specialist	Anna Rebecca Lopez	Biracial (Latina/ Indigenous Maya)
Woodland Park Zoo	Veterinary Technician	Leah Miyamoto	Biracial (Japanese/ Caucasian)
Woodland Park Zoo	Empathy Collaborative Specialist	Melia Paguirigan	Biracial (Fillipinx/White)
Woodland Park Zoo	Director of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion	Andrea Ramirez	Latina
Woodland Park Zoo	Curator	Martin Ramirez	Hispanic
Woodland Park Zoo	Animal Keeper	Carolyn Sellar	Asian
Woodland Park Zoo	Guest Engagement Manager	Bryan Vasquez	Biracial (Mexican/White)