Embattled San Francisco Zoo CEO refuses to step down

By Da Lin

Click here for updates on this story

    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Mayor Daniel Lurie has joined a growing chorus of voices calling for new leadership at the San Francisco Zoo, citing stability concerns at the cherished city institution.

“I am confident that stable, permanent leadership will strengthen the zoo and our city’s ability to welcome pandas, and the zoo board’s decision to identify a new COO and develop a plan to name a new CEO represents real steps in the right direction,” Lurie said in a statement released Friday.

However, Zoo CEO Tanya Peterson has made it clear she has no intention of resigning.

“She has always said that she would resign if it was in the best interest of the zoo,” said zoo spokesperson Sam Singer. “But no one has asked her to resign, nor has she offered her resignation. She’s plowing full speed ahead to try to bring the giant pandas to San Francisco.”

The debate over leadership comes amid tensions between zoo management and employees. The union representing many zoo workers recently passed a vote of “no confidence” in Peterson’s leadership, citing concerns about safety conditions for visitors, staff, and animals.

Critics have pointed directly to Peterson, who has served as CEO for 17 years, as a central figure in the zoo’s problems. Some members of the zoo board have reportedly made attempts to remove her, but so far, those efforts have failed. And those board members resigned. Officially, only the board has the authority to remove Peterson.

“She’s got the skin of an elephant. This doesn’t bother her at all. It’s like water off her back. She’s going to keep doing what’s right for the kids and families in San Francisco,” Singer added.

On Sunday, at the city’s Pride celebration, Mayor Lurie declined to answer specific questions about efforts to oust Peterson, saying only, “We’re going to talk to the zoo board in the coming days. More to come on that one.”

Meanwhile, many zoo visitors remain unaware of the political turmoil behind the scenes.

“The zoo is always the same and always fun,” said Drew Bernier, a father of two young children who makes monthly visits with his family from San Bruno. “We love the zoo. We’ve got a guest pass. We have the kiddos, one and a half and three and a half [years old].”

Bernier said their experiences at the zoo have been consistently positive. “I’ve never felt not safe at the zoo,” he said. “You wouldn’t know that there’s anything outside that’s creating tension.”

Despite the calls for change, the zoo continues its efforts to grow and improve. Most recently, it hired Cassandra Costello as its new Chief Operating Officer. Peterson is reportedly focused on one of her marquee projects: bringing a pair of giant pandas from China to San Francisco next year.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.