Following a year of scandals and a growing campaign to oust her, San Francisco Zoo CEO Tanya Peterson announced Tuesday that she will retire in August.
“Leading this zoo has been one of the great honors of my life,” Peterson, who has served as CEO since 2009 and last year helped negotiate a deal with China to bring pandas to the zoo, said in a statement.
“I have been committed to leading the SF Zoo through some of its most transformative and, unfortunately, some of its most challenging moments,” she said.
Peterson touted her accomplishments, from rescuing blind sea lions to creating a beloved playground and overseeing the construction of several animal exhibits, including the $9 million Madagascar Center, scheduled to open this fall.
But her tenure was also marked by allegations of mismanagement, employee safety violations, and animal welfare abuses — scandals that over the last year resulted in mounting calls for her resignation.
Last month, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to freeze millions in city funding for the zoo to compel it to comply with an audit of its finances and performance.
Meanwhile, the union representing zoo employees had grown increasingly resistant to Peterson, while the zoo’s board of directors tried to oust her earlier this year.
In a statement, the board thanked Peterson and recognized her “extraordinary contributions, leadership, and unwavering dedication.”
“During her tenure, she greatly expanded the zoo’s wildlife conservation efforts and enhanced visitors’ access to endangered, exotic, and rescued animals — fostering an environment of exploration and education for guests from near and far,” the board said.
The board says it remains committed to bringing pandas to the zoo, currently scheduled for next spring. Peterson played a crucial role in facilitating former Mayor London Breed’s deal with China to bring the animals to San Francisco; it’s unclear how her departure will affect the timeline for their arrival.
While Peterson managed to hold onto her job for more than a year despite the snowballing controversies, she has faced inescapable pressure in recent days after Mayor Daniel Lurie joined the push to oust her.
After Peterson and Lurie had a call last week, the mayor issued a statement urging the zoo board to “develop a plan to name a new CEO.” Peterson at the time said she had no plans to leave her post and said Lurie had misunderstood her message that she will always do what’s best for the zoo — even if that means stepping down.
But that conversation seemed to mark the beginning of the end for her career at the zoo.
“I look forward to working with the board and the new leadership to improve our zoo,” Lurie said in a statement Tuesday, “and fulfill the rare and exciting opportunity to bring pandas to our city.”
The zoo last month hired Cassandra Costello as chief operating officer. Costello, who has extensive experience in government and tourism as the former chief strategy officer at SF Travel, is seen as an asset as the zoo awaits the arrival of the pandas.
The zoo board is now tasked with appointing an interim CEO and launching what’s expected to be a national search for Peterson’s permanent replacement.