ZAA Team update
The ZAA team has started the year with some sizeable changes, saying farewell to some of our dedicated team as they seek new adventures, and welcoming new faces too. Alongside organic changes, grant opportunities and ZAA’s new strategy has set the stage for a few structure adjustments and a number of personnel changes late 2025 / early 2026.
Join us with best wishes for old and new colleagues.
ZAA Accreditation team
Nick De Graaff:
After thirteen years with ZAA within a couple of decades in the Australasian Zoo setting, we wish Nick all the very best with his next adventure. Known to many for his work with animal welfare assessment and ZAA’s accreditation program, we pause to acknowledge Nick’s contribution to ZAA over his tenure, and its halo of benefits for our profession. Our ZAA Accreditation Program is complimented by colleagues across the world, considered highly by members, and has enabled us to leverage our regional sector’s value with government and conservation partners for membership benefit. Nick has been ‘the face’ of ZAA’s accreditation program locally, regionally, and internationally – he’s been a heavy lifter for animal welfare assessment and for the future of zoos and aquariums, he will be sorely missed by us at ZAA.
The ZAA Accreditation team, having been led and operated for many years by Nick de Graaff and Judith Gillespie, is in the highly capable hands of a new team (Jude having retired mid-2025, now bird spotting across the planet).
Justine Partoon and Elyshia Wignell, the power duo, have taken up the mantel.
Justine, as Animal Welfare and Research Manager at ZoosSA, joined the ZAA team in June 2025 on a six-month contract, quickly immersing herself in the world of ZAA and ZAA’s accreditation program. Justine’s primary focus during this period was the review and update of the ZAA Accreditation Desktop Tool.
With Nick leaving late 2025, Justine extended her contract with ZAA to continue development of important assets to support ZAA and our members with animal welfare assessment tools. Justine will be known to many via the Standards & Accreditation Committee, the newly formed Animal Welfare SAG, the Animal Welfare Strategy Workshop at the ZAA Conference, or from accreditation site visits.
Elyshia Wignell, ZAA’s other animal welfare assessment ambassador completes ZAA’s Accreditation Team. Already working with ZAA, Elyshia changed from her current Species Survival grant role to become ZAA’s Accreditation & Animal Welfare Assessment Officer. Elyshia’s deep and practical experience from her decade working with a ZAA private owner member, brings immense value to the ZAA Team and the Accreditation program. Many of you will have welcomed Elyshia onsite already for your site reviews and experienced her laser sharp attention to detail and process.
Accreditation is a highly valued member service and a key component of ZAA’s future strategy and we are collectively in good hands with this team.
ZAA’s New Zealand Member Representation and Species Coordination
Todd Jenkinson:
Todd joined ZAA in May 2018 as New Zealand’s Manager of Partnerships and Conservation. Already holding the role of NZ’s Fauna TAG eco-convener as part of this NZ Manager role, Todd also took on responsibility for kiwi and kea species coordination. Todd has played a vital role in in representing and supporting ZAA’s New Zealand members with conservation advocacy projects, species coordination and more recently, member welfare accreditations.
A pillar of the ZAA Team and a true advocate for ZAA’s New Zealand membership over the last eight years, Todd will be dearly missed. Todd has made the move to North Queensland Australia to connect with extended family, and we wish him well with his new life up in the tropics.
Poppy Shelton:
Welcome Poppy! After a double recruitment search, we are delighted to welcome Poppy Shelton, as ZAA’s new New Zealand Manager of Partnerships & Conservation. Poppy comes with strong experience in strategy, partnerships and delivery. Poppy holds a minor in biology, a deep interest in the natural world, zoology, genetics and conservation and a background in government advocacy. Having met with representatives from the ZAA NZ Committee, and with recruitment only recently confirmed, we look forward to Poppy joining the ZAA team on the 11th of May.
Separate communication will be shared with NZ Members closer to Poppy’s joining date, with details for introduction.
ZAA Conservation & Population Management Team
Gael Glassock:
Gael joined ZAA in 2021 as Project Support Officer supporting ZAA with facilitation of the Federal Department of Environment BRIT Grant, supporting recovery for fire impacted species. Throughout Gael’s 5 years with ZAA she accelerated through four different roles, most recently as ZAA’s Species Management Program Officer.
Gael was a valued member of the team, joining us directly from university, she provided important support and knowledge to our members in relation to conservation and species population management. The ZAA team will miss Gael, her hard work and infectious laugh. Gael has ventured onwards to a role in the Australian Government Wildlife Trade Assessments, CITES Scientific Authority Team, and will still be close by. We wish Gael all the best with this next step in her career.
Mica Rios Meza:
In January 2025, Mica joined ZAA’s Conservation and Population Management team to support Species Coordinators with program coordination. With Gael leaving early 2026, we are thrilled for Mica who accepted the promotion to Population Management Officer in a full-time capacity. Mica brings with her a wealth of practical knowledge to support our small populations’ sustainability, she is an efficient and effective operator, and with Population Management a pillar of our Association, we’re thrilled to have Mica with us every day.
To complete the Conservation & Population Management Team changes, recruitment has recently been finalised to fill the space Mica has left with her old role. We are excited to welcome a new and experienced team member for ZAA’s new Conservation & Population Management Support Officer, with the contract process well underway.
We look forward to having a full team for this very important function.
ZAA’s Species Survival Officers (Grant team)
Lisa Tuthill
Lisa joined ZAA last year to fulfil the critical role of Grant Officer for the Federal Government’s upscaling biosecurity grant to support protected species susceptible to HPAI. Creating the blueprint for this program from the ground up, Lisa very quickly became the name and the face for nearly thirty wildlife organisations working hard for threatened species protection against the disease.
From this challenge, Lisa continued with ZAA to work alongside Kerri Duncan on recovery action coordination, supporting a range of Threatened Species Recovery Teams under the ZAA’s Federal Government Saving Native Species Recovery Action Coordination Grant Program. Lisa’s deep practical expertise and strong background in conservation science has been a true asset for ZAA and participating stakeholders and members. In just a year Lisa has left a lasting mark on the ZAA team and we wish her all the best.
Team Structure Changes
With the rollout of the 2026-2028 Strategy, structure changes have been required to support ZAA’s strategic direction and objectives, and late 2025 we sadly said farewell to two valued colleagues.
Thank you to Helen Church, our ZAA Comms Manager and Judy Dawson, our Admin Assistant for your commitment and contributions to the Association over the last few years in these roles. Many members will have crossed paths with both of these executives, their reach and member engagement having been wide and varied over their tenure. Thank you! And all the best for your future endeavours.
Operations and Learning & Development Support
To provide increased support for members with their animal welfare processes, accreditation preparation, species coordinator / species management, community engagement and other various business systems two different roles have been introduced, a Learning & Development Coordinator and an Operations & Member Support Coordinator.
Welcome Donna and Siena!
Donna Triantafyllou joined ZAA in January this year as our Operations and Member support Coordinator. Donna will be pivotal to ZAA’s CMS and member portal upgrade, and with supporting member operations, and services. Donna has previously worked at Taronga Zoo, and more recently as an operations manager for a large charity.
Siena Redmond also joined ZAA early this year as our Learning and Development Coordinator. Working alongside Donna, Siena will be working to support members through the development of learning resources and tools. Siena’s background is in documentary video editing and educational resource development.