Jeff Ettling, Ph.D.

Jeff Ettling, Ph.D. has a diverse and extensive work experience in the field of zoo management and animal care. Jeff currently serves as the President & CEO of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens since March 2022. Prior to that, they held the same position at the Sedgwick County Zoo from May 2017 to March 2022.

Before their role as an executive director, Jeff Ettling worked at the Saint Louis Zoo as the Curator of Herpetology from June 1995 to May 2017. Jeff also served as the Curator of Herpetology at the Sedgwick County Zoo from November 1991 to June 1995. Their career in zoo management began at the Saint Louis Zoo, where they worked as a Reptile Keeper from August 1987 to October 1991.

Jeff Ettling, Ph.D. obtained their Bachelor's degree in Biology, General from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1986. Jeff continued their education at the same institution and completed their Master's degree in Biology, General in the period between 1986 and 1994. Later, they pursued a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology at the University of Missouri-Saint Louis from 2005 to 2013.