New director of DC’s National Zoo to come from Zoo Atlanta; Dennis Kelly to start in February

New chief of DC’s National Zoo comes from Atlanta

ATLANTA — The National Zoo in Washington is getting its new director from Zoo Atlanta.

The two zoos announced Friday that Atlanta’ president and CEO, Dennis Kelly, has been named director of the National Zoo.

Kelly will leave Atlanta after six years at the helm to take over the Smithsonian-run facility. He will start the new job Feb. 15.

In Atlanta, Kelly has overseen the birth of the zoo’s first two giant panda cubs and raised more than $40 million in public and private funds. Zoo Atlanta’s board chairman Mickey Brown said Kelly helped the city establish “a world class zoo.”

Kelly has a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech and a master’s in business administration from Harvard University. He worked at the Coca-Cola Company for 15 years and was CEO of Green Mountain Energy Co. before taking over the zoo.

On the Net:

Zoo Atlanta: www.zooatlanta.org

National Zoo: nationalzoo.si.edu