3 Questions With the President of the Philadelphia Zoo

Our city is home to all kinds of historic sites and records. Here’s a fun one: Our zoo was the first in the country.

The Philadelphia Zoo is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, so City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri sat down with Dr. Jo-Elle Mogerman, the zoo’s president and CEO, to discuss the local institution’s past, present, and future.

Mogerman, a Chicago native, has worked in leadership roles at zoos and aquariums for about two decades, and she’s been at the helm of the nation’s oldest zoo for more than eight months. Here’s a quick glimpse into what she had to say about Philly, its people, and its zoo.

These questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Nuri: What have you learned about Philadelphia since you moved here?

Mogerman: “Philadelphia loves its firsts. Philadelphians take pride in [having] the first of many things. I've also learned that the Philadelphia Zoo is part of what it means to be Philadelphian, which is really cool, I think.”

Speaking of firsts, you are the first woman and first African American to serve in this role. What does that mean for you?

“It’s kind of funny and humbling and honoring to think that the nation's oldest zoo, 150 years later, just got its first female president. It’s kind of a weight to carry, but a good one, right? There are not a lot of African American directors — I knew that, because I know most of them — so it's a real honor to be African American in the City of Brotherly Love, and in a really rich and diverse city. I have built my career on being inclusive and leaning into who I am as a woman and as an African American to make me a better leader for wildlife.”

What's something you wish more people knew about the zoo?

“I wish that more people knew that we are, in fact, a place for everyone. You can come in as an adult … and just enjoy it. You don't have to feel weird about coming. We are really, truly a place for everyone engaged in, I call it, serious fun.”

🎧 In the full interview on the City Cast Philly podcast, Mogerman discusses the zoo’s storied history and innovations, how the institution hopes to connect with families, the exhibits that are her personal favorites, and a funny story that involves the Rocky Steps.