Milwaukee County Zoo Appoints New Director

MILWAUKEE, WI — The Milwaukee County Zoo will have a new director.

County Executive David Crowley on Friday appointed Amos Morris as new director of the Milwaukee County Zoo. Morris will replace the previous director, Chuck Wikenhauser.

Morris will be the first Black zoo director in Milwaukee County if confirmed by the county Board of Supervisors, which will take up his appointment in September. Morris will start work at the zoo on Aug. 2 before he's confirmed, the zoo told Patch.

"Amos’ thirty-three years of experience in zoo operations, organizational management, and animal management will serve the County Zoo well as we seek to maintain one of the top zoos in the nation for enrichment, education, and entertainment," Crowley said in a statement. The County Zoo has never had Black leadership in its 126-year history, he added.

Morris served as director of the Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden in Evansville, Indiana, and as the executive director of the Evansville Zoological Society, the county said. He also worked as the chief operating officer at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Fresno, California, and as an executive at zoos in Pittsburgh, Dallas and Rhode Island.

Morris was also the first Black member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums board of directors and the first Black director at an association accredited zoo, the zoo said. He currently serves on the association's accreditation commission.