President: Jen Hershey

Jennifer has been an animal keeper for 20 years and is a graduate of the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo Program in Gainesville, FL. She has worked as an intern aquarist at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific and San Diego Zoo's Safari Park working primarily at the Animal Care Center with hoofstock neonates and as a relief keeper for other sections of the park. She was on the opening team at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and now works at Disney's Animal Kingdom in the veterinary department. Being an AAZK member has given her the opportunity to network with other members of the zoological community and participate in conservation fundraisers.

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Vice President: Adriana Diaz

Adriana has have been a full-time keeper for 15 years and a National AAZK member since 2007. She is a graduate of the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo in Gainesville, FL, and completed an internship at the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, FL. She then became a zoo keeper at Zoo Miami working at the veterinary hospital, Department of Conservation and Research, and elephants. While at Zoo Miami, she was very active with the South Florida AAZK chapter from 2009 to 2018 holding a position as chapter liaison for 1 year and then chapter president for 5 years. Adriana has currently been an Elephant keeper at Disney's Animal Kingdom for the past 4 years. She continues to be active in the zoological profession through her conservation participation in Proyecto Titi in Colombia and as a member with the AAZK International Outreach Committee

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Treasurer: Penny Jolly

Penny has been a zoo keeper for 30 years and a member of AAZK for almost as long. In 2009 she was honored to become an AAZK Board Member and just finished a term as President. She also contributes to the zoological field as the AZA Abdim’s stork Studbook keeper and Program Leader. She has a BS Degree in Zoology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.  She has worked with a variety of species at the Utica Zoo, the Kansas City Zoo, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. I have cared for a wide variety of species including Vietnamese walking sticks, Burrowing owls, African elephants, chimpanzees, snow leopards, California sea lions and currently roseate spoonbills, Tammar wallabies, babiurusa and Southern giant anteater. She enjoys being an officer with GOAAZK because we all have fun together, form friendships and help support conservation programs like Bowling for Rhinos!

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Secretary: Kim Thomson

Kim has been volunteering and working in zoos for over 20 years. Through her high school years, she was a teen volunteer at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium.  After graduating high school, She went on to college at Kent State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in  Zoology.  While earning her degree, she returned to the Pittsburgh Zoo for her internships. Kim began her career as a bird keeper at Zoo Miami before eventually moving to the mammal department.  As an active member in the South Florida AAZK chapter through her whole tenure at Zoo Miami, she held the position of Secretary, Vice President, and President of the chapter during that time.  As a South Florida AAZK member, she began fundraisers including Halloween for Hornbills and Okapitoberfest as well as acting on the Bowling for Rhinos planning committee. She joined the Animal Kingdom Lodge team in 2015 and soon after joined the Greater Orlando AAZK chapter where she has been a member of the Bowling for Rhinos committee since 2016 as well as co-chairing the now-annual Greater Orlando Okapitoberfest celebration at Crooked Can Brewery. In her free time, she also volunteers for the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey.  

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