John
Lewis, Zoo Director, Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
John Lewis has
been at the Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens as Zoo Director since 2003.
The Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens is home to more than 1,100
mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles representing over 200 different species;
over 35 which are endangered. Highlights of the animal collection include
Komodo dragons, great apes, koalas, giraffes, and the California condor. The
entire Zoo campus is a botanical garden and we feature ten specialized gardens
such as cycads and roses. The Zoo’s botanical collection has over 800 different
plant species and more than 7,400 individual plants. The Zoo receives over 1.7
million visitors per year.
Before his move to Los Angeles, Lewis was the director of the John Ball
Zoological Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan for 17 years. He also worked at
the Minnesota Zoo from 1977-1986 and began his zoo career in 1974 at the
Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo. Lewis has been an active member of the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums and is currently on the AZA Board of
Directors. Lewis received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from
Northeast Louisiana University in 1974 and completed 30 hours of graduate work
in microbiology from 1974-1977. He is married, has three children
and six grandchildren.
Meeting October 6 - Craft Talk: Captain Tina M. Nieto
Captain
Nieto was born in San Gabriel California and raised in West Covina, California.
Captain Nieto has a Masters Degree in Leadership and Management, from the
University of La Verne, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from California State
University, Fullerton. She is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute of
Policing through PERF. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).
Captain Nieto has an extensive teaching background in leadership. She was
on the original design team for the West Point Leadership Program, has taught
diversity at the LAPD Academy, has been a guest speaker at Women's Leadership
Conferences, and has facilitated at LAPD's Supervisory School. She spent ten
years as a facilitator for POST's Supervisory Leadership Institute, a program
designed to teach California law enforcement front-line supervisors personal
growth, leadership, and ethical decision-making.
Captain Nieto served
eight years with the United States Army Reserve (USAR) attaining the rank of
Captain. She served in various leadership roles including Assistant to the
Provost Marshall, commander of a military police company of 100 military police
officers, a member of Nuclear Weapons Logistic Element, and a squad leader of
Ordnance specialists.
Currently she is the Area Commanding Officer at
Olympic Division serving 217,000 residents of the City of Los Angeles. Prior
assignments include Patrol Commanding Officer at Olympic Division, Newton
Division and Hollenbeck Division, an Officer-In-Charge at Audit Division, a
District Lieutenant in Hollywood Division; a Watch Commander in Pacific Division
where she was also charged with the Venice Beach Unit; an Assistant Watch
Commander in a Traffic Division and Communications Division; Training Group;
Training Division; Background Investigations and various patrol assignments.
Upon promotion to Captain in 2008, she became the first Hispanic Female Captain
in LAPD's history.
Captain Nieto's personal leadership philosophy is
three-fold, civic responsibility because leadership is responsibility shared by
all, taking action even when it is not the popular choice, and engaging others
to make a difference for the good of the community. She believes that the most
important contribution that a person can make is changing lives for the better.
Captain Nieto is a member of several organizations including CFE's
Association; Los Angeles Women's Police Officer Association; Law Enforcement Gay
and Lesbians International; La Ley; Hispanic Law Enforcement Administrators and
the Fraternal Order of the Police. She has served as a board member for
International Law Enforcement Auditor's Association, LAWPOA, and GALLEP.
Captain Nieto lives with her nephew and domestic partner in Orange County with
their two dogs.
Rotary is a leadership organization made up of local business, professional and civic leaders who meet regularly to get
to know each other, form friendships, and through that, be able to get things done in our local community. Rotary is the world’s oldest and largest
service organization (founded in 1905).
September
is Basic Education and Literacy Month
October
is Economic and Community Development Month
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John
Lewis, Zoo Director, Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
