Hello again, everyone!

It is such an exciting time at Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium! In just a few short weeks, Sobela Ocean Aquarium will be opening, and our sea lion pool will also be very close to completion as well! I want to thank you for being patient with our construction zones this year. I know that it has been a touch difficult traversing around these two projects, but I am certain that you will enjoy the results. We feel the Aquarium is spectacular and will be a place where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean all year long. Our sea lions will definitely enjoy their new bedrooms and you will have the ability to sit, rest, and watch them as they show off their skills and training. Our former Beaks and Feet Boulevard, now called Aquarium Avenue, has also been completely repaved, which will be one more improvement everyone can enjoy this fall after a few years of having that area closed.

In this edition of Expeditions, we have numerous stories about the Aquarium, which will hopefully get you excited to come see all its new animals and amenities. In addition to just seeing, you’ll also be able to feel some of the new additions at two hands-on touch pools. There’s a new gift shop and a classroom that will provide another space for educational opportunities. And I know that our group sales team has already booked quite a few private evening events in the Aquarium this fall!

In addition to the new openings, we have plenty of other things that are bringing excitement! There are quite a few new animal updates in this issue, and I hope you’ve gotten a chance to see some of them in person. GloWild makes an exciting return at the end of September, and it promises to be even bigger and better in its second year! Hoots and Howls and Boo at the Zoo are always fall favorites and I look forward to seeing the many creative costumes again this year. And, of course, our popular Brew at the Zoo will also return in mid-October for our adults-only crowd.

With all this going on, I hope that you can take advantage of your Friends of the Zoo memberships and visit often! I look forward to seeing you here!

Board Of Directors

Wesley Fields, Chairperson

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP

Tony Reinhart, Secretary

Ford Motor Company

David Sanchez Jr., Treasurer PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP

David Barr, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co., Inc.

Brad Bodamer, Graves Garrett LLC

Dr. Yolanda Cargile, Center School District

Chris Cotten, KC Parks and Recreation

Jeff Dillon, VanTrust Real Estate LLC

Ana Nubia Duin, La Mega Spanish Radio

Jan Francis, Community Volunteer

Sandra Garcia, Metropolitan Community Colleges

Hayley Hanson, Husch Blackwell LLP

Audrey Hill, Saint Luke’s Health System

Julius Lai, Community Volunteer

Kate Lambert, Dixon Family Foundation

Al Mauro, Hallmark

Katie McDonald, Evergy

Yvette Miceli, Construction Brokers, Inc.

Janet Miles-Bartee, Local Investment Commission (LINC)

Joe Prenger, ECCO Select

Terry Riley, Blue Cross Blue Shield

John Russ, UMB Bank

Representing the City of Kansas City

Heather Hall, City Council, 1st District

Kevin McManus, Mayor Pro Tem

Ryana Parks-Shaw, City Council, 5th District

Brian Platt, City Manager

Zoological District Commissioners

Greg Canuteson, Chair, Clay County

Charlie Franklin, Jackson County

Carol Hallquist, Vice Chair & Treasurer, Jackson County

Jerry Nolte, Clay County

Alex Perez, KC Parks and Recreation Representative

Kansas City Zoo

Sean Putney, Executive Director/ CEO

Sincerely,

Kansas City Zoo Foundation

Randy Wisthoff, Executive Director

Sean Putney Executive Director & CEO

816.595.1234

The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium, a private, nonprofit organization is operated in agreement with the Kansas City, MO Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners, partially funded by the Zoological District in Jackson and Clay Counties in MO, and is accredited by the Assocation of Zoos and Aquariums.