For 28 years under its director Ron Kagan, the Detroit Zoo pioneered a worldwide movement to showcase wild creatures more ethically while hosting record numbers of visitors at Detroit s collection and adding dozens of new exhibits.
Kagan announced Tuesday he ll retire this summer. The Detroit Zoological Society has formed a search committee to seek the zoo s next director, according to a news release.
Kagan, 69, will leave his longtime roles as executive director and CEO of the Zoological Society, a nonprofit group that operates the Detroit Zoo, whose assets are owned by the city of Detroit. In a statement, Kagan said, I’ve been in love with DZS and this community from the day I arrived so many extraordinary employees, volunteers, donors and board members have contributed to creating and securing the future of this amazing organization.
Ron Kagan, CEO of Detroit Zoo, retiring after 28 years
By Jack Nissen
ROYAL OAK, Mich. - After 28 years at the helm of the Detroit Zoo, its CEO is leaving his post for a job abroad.
Ron Kagan, 69, announced he is retiring from the Detroit Zoological Society this summer, after leading the institution through almost three decades and bolstering its status in the world of life sciences.
Ron Kagan, CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society I’ve been in love with DZS and this community from the day I arrived. So many extraordinary employees, volunteers, donors and board members have contributed to creating and securing the future of this amazing organization, said Kagan in a statement.