ZDR3 Director Wins Award
L to R: Dr. Kelly George, ZAA Executive Director; Julia Wilder, ZDR3 Executive Director; and Betsey Brewer Bethel, ZAA Board Chair
Editor’s note: ZDR3 Operations Manager, Cari Wittenborn, nominated our Executive Director, Julia Wilder, for the Zoological Association of America’s Young Professional of the Year Award. According to ZAA, “This prestigious award honors someone who has shown exceptional promise, leadership, and commitment to ZAA’s mission — someone who exemplifies the next generation of leaders within the zoological community.” Below, what Cari submitted with her nomination:
Julia Wilder has more than 20 years of experience in the zoological industry, and is the first call many zoo professionals make when something goes wrong. For those who know her, calling Julia an “emerging leader” feels like selling her short. She is, without question, already a true leader in the zoological industry. At a relatively young age, she has shaped national-level initiatives, responded on the ground to some of the worst disasters our community has faced, and built a network that others know they can rely on. Julia is one of the strongest voices shaping this industry’s future.
Julia started in the industry the way many of us do, serving hands-on as a caretaker and trainer, and working her way up to management. Julia’s vision was bigger though, and she began developing programs and engaging with organizations to help the industry as a whole. Her goals have always been clear: providing realistic, helpful tools for the people who need them.
That same philosophy drove Julia to co-found and lead Zoological Disaster Response, Rescue, and Recovery (ZDR3). She saw a unique need within the industry following Hurricane Harvey and made it her life’s mission to ensure no one goes through disaster alone ever again. Under Julia’s direction, ZDR3 has responded to more than 20 incidents and 50 missions across the country.
Julia is a champion for the little guy. She has ensured that ZDR3’s model supports not only large, well-resourced facilities, but also those that are privately owned, and operating with minimal or limited resources and support. She has helped institutions build response plans from scratch, advocated for their inclusion in state-level emergency frameworks, and made sure no one gets left behind.
Julia’s impact can be seen not only in the policies and organizations she has helped advance, but in the faces of the survivors. Thanks to Julia’s compassion and assistance we see facilities ravaged by fire, inundated with flood waters, and devastated by storms rise up and continue fighting for their animals and staff.
When we ask the leadership of affected institutions what they consider the most valuable resource ZDR3 provided during response and recovery, they often respond “Hope.”
I know our industry is full of young people doing good work, but there is only one person everyone knows they can call, no matter how bad the situation. Julia has given her youth, her expertise, and her whole heart to this industry and deserves more than anyone to see that dedication rewarded. She has shown this sometimes divided industry that we are stronger together.
Cari Wittenborn met ZDR3’s Executive Director, Julia Wilder, during a response at the flood-prone zoo where Cari then worked. The two collaborated so well that Cari volunteered to help our then-fledgling nonprofit organization with communications support. Cari’s dedication to the ZDR3 mission eventually led to a full-time staff position as Operations Manager.