Honolulu's top animal gig is going to a veteran of the national conservation scene. Mayor Rick Blangiardi has named John Berry as the new director of the Honolulu Zoo, handing the keys to someone who has spent decades running major wildlife and public institutions, including the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Berry says he wants to put that experience to work by strengthening wildlife conservation across the islands at a time when the zoo is leaning on both city funding and private partnerships to drive capital upgrades and education programs.
According to KITV, Blangiardi hailed Berry as "a transformational leader with an extraordinary record of public service, conservation leadership, and organizational management." Berry told the station he is "honored and excited to be joining the Honolulu Zoo" and wants to advance wildlife conservation throughout Hawaiʻi. The mayor is clearly betting that national-level experience will help a local attraction that serves both residents and visitors.
A national conservation résumé
Berry's background stretches across nonprofit work, federal agencies and diplomatic service. As outlined by the White House, he has led the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, directed the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and served as director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management before going on to an ambassadorship to Australia. It is the kind of résumé metro zoos usually dream about when they go hunting for leadership.
Fundraising and facility work
While at the National Zoo, Berry helped craft a long-term capital plan and line up federal and private funding for key infrastructure projects, including upgraded fire-protection systems and major exhibit renovations. A congressional appropriations report details targeted federal support for zoo infrastructure in those years, underscoring that the work involved investments on the order of tens of millions of dollars.
Local context and expectations
The Honolulu Zoo holds accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a stamp of approval that speaks to standards for animal care, education and conservation partnerships. For years, community events and fundraising run through the Honolulu Zoo Society have supplemented city budgets for programs and brick-and-mortar projects, creating the sort of public-private arrangements Berry has navigated before. Locals can likely expect more of that playbook.
What's next
Berry told KITV he plans to lean on partnerships and tap his national network to support conservation efforts across the islands and to help drive improvements at the zoo itself. City officials have not yet announced when Berry will officially start.
The choice fits Blangiardi's broader pattern of recruiting national-caliber managers to run Honolulu's cultural institutions. With experience in nonprofit leadership, federal bureaucracy and diplomacy, Berry arrives as a director used to building coalitions and raising serious capital, which is exactly what the zoo will need as it chases its next phase of growth.
