Michael I. Crowther (born 1952) is a retired American zoological conservationist. He was appointed president and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of the

Indianapolis Zoo The Indianapolis Zoo is a non-profit zoo, public aquarium, and botanical garden in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Incorporated in 1944, the Indianapolis Zoological Society established the first zoo at George Washington Park in 1964. The c ...

in 2002 and retired in January, 2020.''School of the Black and Red''. A History of

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in Bedford Charity, The Harpur Trust, born from the financial endowment, endowments le ...

, by Andrew Underwood (1981); updated (2010) He was previously president and chief executive officer of the

New Jersey State Aquarium The Adventure Aquarium, formerly the Thomas H. Kean New Jersey State Aquarium, is a for-profit educational entertainment attraction operated in Camden, New Jersey on the Delaware River Camden Waterfront by Herschend Family Entertainment. Origina ...

. Crowther is known as creator of the

Indianapolis Prize The Indianapolis Prize is a biennial prize awarded by the Indianapolis Zoo to individuals for "extraordinary contributions to conservation efforts" affecting one or more animal species. Overview The Indianapolis Prize was established by the Ind ...

, an award for animal conservation. The Indianapolis Prize is widely regarded as the world's leading award in the field of animal conservation. In 2017, Crowther began working with officials of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) to develop a new resource for adding efficiency and accountability to the SSC's Assess-Plan-Act model of conservation. Crowther's plan for a Global Center for Species Survival, bringing key full-time specialist group coordinators together to manage the SSC's projects, was signed into agreement at the SSC's Annual Leaders Meeting in Abu Dhabi on October 7, 2019, and the Center opened on the Indianapolis Zoo campus in 2021 with startup funding from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Early life and education

Crowther was born in 1952 at

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He was educated at

and graduated from Salisbury High School in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania. Crowther emigrated to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

with his family as a teenager.

Career

He was appointed president and

of the

in 2002. He was previously president and chief executive officer of the

. Crowther has served on the boards of the

International Species Information System Species360 (formerly International Species Information System or ISIS) founded in 1974, is an international non-profit organization that maintains an online database of wild animals under human care. , the organization serves more than 1,000 zoos ...

, the

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (originally the Digit Fund) is a charity for the protection of endangered mountain gorillas. The Digit Fund was created by Dr. Dian Fossey in 1978 for the sole purpose of financing her anti-poaching patr ...

International, and The National Elephant Center. In 2014, Crowther was named a Distinguished Hoosier by Governor

Mitch Daniels Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician. A Republican, Daniels served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. Since 2013, Daniels has been pr ...

and received Indiana's Excellence in Innovation award. Crowther was named a member of the Order of the Sagamores of the Wabash, the State of Indiana's highest award, by Governor

Eric Holcomb Eric Joseph Holcomb (born May 2, 1968) is an American politician who is the 51st and current governor of Indiana, serving since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 51st lieutenant governor of Indiana from 2016 to 2017 unde ...

, in September, 2017. On February 15, 2019, Crowther was named International Citizen of the Year by The International Center. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett proclaimed December 6, 2019 - the day after Crowther's retirement party - as Michael Crowther Day in Indianapolis. Additionally, the Indianapolis Zoological Society named the biennial Indianapolis Prize leadership lecture in Crowther's honor, established the Michael I. Crowther Indianapolis Prize Endowment, and arranged for a bull elephant in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania to be named "Mike."

Personal life

Crowther and his wife, Eileen (Sweeney) Crowther, have two daughters, Megan and Erin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowther, Michael People educated at Bedford Modern School Living people Salisbury High School (Pennsylvania) alumni 1952 births