Michael Adkesson was appointed president and CEO of the Chicago Zoological Society and director of Brookfield Zoo in 2021. He has a background in veterinary medicine, science, research and conservation. Adkesson completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Illinois, followed by a residency in zoological medicine at the Saint Louis Zoo and University of Missouri. After this, he accepted an associate veterinarian position at Brookfield Zoo in 2008.
In 2012, Adkesson became vice president of clinical medicine, overseeing the society’s veterinary programmes and hospital operations. In the past decade, he has led conservation programmes in Peru focused on Humboldt penguins, Peruvian fur seals, and other coastal marine wildlife. An adjunct clinical professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, he has trained veterinary students, interns, and residents. He also holds an associate position with Cayetano Heredia University in Peru.
Adkesson is a board-certified specialist in zoological medicine by the American College of Veterinary Medicine and the European College of Zoological Medicine. He is a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and a past president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Additionally, he is a member of the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians and the International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine.
Adkesson believes zoos are in a unique position to inspire the public to care more about wildlife and nature. He told blooloop: “Here at the zoo, we work very hard to engage kids at an early age in early childhood education programmes that are centred around simply getting kids off a screen and outside into nature, encouraging and letting them have those firsthand experiences that we hope will resonate with them throughout their life so that they will look to make positive changes over time in terms of how we view and treat the world around us, what we value concerning wildlife, nature, and what they can do on a daily basis to help.”