Chicago Zoological Society celebrates conservation leaders

The Chicago Zoological Society, alongside the board of trustees and women’s board, honored leaders on conservation efforts both locally and globally at the 20th annual Conservation Leadership Awards held Oct. 3.

Conservation is the motive for every initiative at the Chicago Zoological Society and with the mission of inspiring conservation leadership by engaging people with wildlife and nature. This yearly ceremony, originally created to honor George Rabb, and president emeritus of the Chicago Zoological society, consists of three awards: the Corwith Hamill Lifetime Achievement Conservation Award, the Edith Rockefeller McCormick Partnership Award, and the George B. Rabb Conservation Medal.

This year’s recipients of the Corwith Hamill Lifetime Achievement Conservation Award are the Chirstopher and Schueler families.

This year’s recipient of the Edith Rockefeller McCormcik Partnership Award is the Steering Committee and Public Campaign Committee for the Vote Yes Campaign. The Vote Yes Campaign organized for the 2022 election to encourage Cook County residents to “Vote Yes” on a referendum for a small property tax increase to fund projects that support clean water sources, air quality and protect our wildlife as well as maintenance on public lands. The work of this campaign aligns with the mission of the Chicago Zoological Society and supports the work of Edith Rockefeller McCormick, the society’s first partner in conservation.

This year’s recipient of the George B. Rabb Conservation Medal is Dr. Jan Ramer, senior vice president of Animal Care & Conservation at the Columbus Zoo & Aqarium and the Wilds, for her conservation work with Gorilla Doctors and her commitment to veterinary medicine.

Ramer spent the early days of her career at Brookfield Zoo as a primate specialist before receiving her doctor of veterinary medicine from the University of Wisconsin in 1995 and working as an associate veterinarian at the Indianpolis Zoo.

In 2007, she achieved diplomate status in the American College of Zoological Medicine. Ramer then pursued her dream of working in conservation medicine as regional manager for the nonprofit Gorilla Doctors – the only organization in the world dedicated to saving the mountain and eastern lowlan gorilla species one patient by providing hands-on medical care to ill and injured mountain and lowland gorillas.

During her time as regional manager she led a team of dedicated veterinarians in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for four years. She now serves on the organization’s board of directors. After her years in Africa, Ramer returned to the United States to start her work at The Wilds in 2015, first as the director of conservation medicine and now in her current position.

For information about the Conservation Leadership Awards or the mission of the Chicago Zoological Society, visit CZS.org.