The newest leader of the Philadelphia Zoo wants to redefine urban zoos

On her second day in office as the new Philadelphia Zoo president and CEO, Jo-Elle Mogerman is still etching out her plans for the nation’s first zoo. But she’s certain of one thing: The community will have a hand in shaping this new vision.

“We need the community,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “This is the Philadelphia Zoo; we’re just stewarding it. There are a lot of memories here, so understanding what those memories are, what excites people, and what sort of animals or experiences they would like to see or keep, all that is important to create a vision that a community buys into.”

Mogerman, the zoo’s first Black female leader, wants to redefine the look and feel of urban zoos. She sees Philadelphia as the city to reimagine these spaces, elevate existing programming, and shape further conservation efforts.

The Chicago native succeeds Vikram Dewan, who retired after a 16-year tenure at the zoo. Mogerman, appointed in August, is the 15th president in the zoo’s 164-year history.

We spoke to her about her start in conservation and animal care, her vision for the future of urban zoos, and her early thoughts on Philadelphia.

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Where it all started: I’m a zoo aquarium professional. Academically, I’m a scientist. My Ph.D. is in biology, and I came into zoos and aquariums through education programs. I was born and raised in Chicago, and most of my career has been spent at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo. I spent a couple of years at Shedd Aquarium heading up their education team, and left four years ago to be the director of the St. Louis Zoo WildCare Park, which is the St. Louis Zoo’s new campus. I was brought there to help design, build, and operate the campus which will open in 2027. That was pretty exciting.

Why the Philadelphia Zoo? The board is dynamic, it’s in Philadelphia, and the zoo has all the interesting things that get me excited. That’s conservation and community, and how they intersect to create dynamic experiences and high-quality animal care. It’s all the stuff I love, and it’s in a big city. And I’m a big-city girl.

Future plans: I’m working on that, but I can tell you that I want the Philadelphia community to be a part of that vision. I want to hear the highlights, the bright spots, what’s working well, and how the Philadelphia Zoo can elevate existing assets and create a platform where conservation and animals can contribute to social good. I don’t know what that is just yet, but I would like to engage with the community in that process and to establish the vision for the organization.

Redefining urban zoos: There are a fair number of urban zoos across the country, and because Philadelphia is a place of firsts, I think this city can show what an urban zoo can be and the impact it can make. The energy and flavor of Philadelphia is well-positioned to think big and be innovative, and incorporate things like the public art. I see around the city. There are all these wonderful ingredients, and I think we can lead the way and figure out what is the urban zoo of the future.

The Philadelphia life (so far): I’m loving it. This morning, I learned that the streets are really narrow here. I’m a curious person, so I thought, “How do they manage it?” But I love the energy. People here are out and about, and the food scene is amazing. There’s diversity among the people, and I think the natural areas are really interesting. As a newcomer, I look at that and think, “There’s great opportunity here.”