Bob Lessnau

Bob Lessnau has extensive experience in the field of animal conservation and zoo management. Bob has held various roles at different organizations throughout their career. From 1993 to 2008, they worked as a Primatologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society. Bob then moved on to the Detroit Zoological Society, where they served as the Curator of Mammals from 2008 to 2013. Following that, they joined the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden as the Director of Animal Collections until 2020. During their time at the Cincinnati Zoo, they also worked as an Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Cincinnati from 2013 to 2020. In 2021, they took on the role of Vice President / General Curator at the Audubon Nature Institute. Bob has also served as a Board Member for the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group and the INTERNATIONAL IGUANA FOUNDATION. Most recently, in 2023, they became the Vice President of Life Sciences at the Akron Zoo.

Bob Lessnau has a Bachelor's degree in Zoology/Animal Biology from Dallas Baptist University and a Master's degree in Zoology/Animal Biology from Wayne State University.