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The Sacramento Zoo has named Dan Simon as its new chief executive officer on Thursday, months after the Land Park institution scrapped a $302 million plan to relocate to Elk Grove amid rising costs and stalled fundraising.
Simon, who currently leads Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, will begin his role in early December, the Sacramento Zoological Society announced Wednesday. Zoo officials said Simon brings nearly two decades of leadership experience in zoological organizations and is expected to guide the zoo through its next phase of planning at its longtime home in Sacramento.
Simon replaces interim CEO Robert Churchill, who stepped in after the resignation of former executive director and CEO Jason Jacobs in October 2024.
“Dan emerged as the clear leader among a highly qualified group of candidates,” said Elizabeth Stallard, president of the zoo’s board of trustees. “Dan is ideally suited to guide the Sacramento Zoo into its next chapter.”
Simon’s appointment follows a period of upheaval for the 98-year-old zoo. In May, officials announced they would no longer pursue the long-planned move to southern Elk Grove, citing economic uncertainty, escalating construction costs and a lack of donor momentum. At the time of the decision, the zoo had secured just $19 million of a $50 million fundraising target.
The 11th-hour decision by the Sacramento Zoological Society in April to end its relocation agreement with the city of Elk Grove deeply disappointed leaders there. Zoo officials walked away one day before they were obligated to meet a deadline to contribute $10 million toward the project.
Elk Grove had invested four years of planning and in 2024 its city council voted to approve the $302 million project to bring a larger, modern regional zoo to the city.
Dan Simon has been named the new CEO of the Sacramento Zoo, the Land Park institution announced Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025.
“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work with organizations that connect people with wildlife and inspire conservation action,” Simon said in the zoo’s statement. “The Sacramento Zoo has an exciting future ahead, and I am honored to have the opportunity to help shape that future alongside what is clearly a dedicated team and supportive community.”
The zoo is now exploring a potential expansion at its current site in William Land Park. If approved by the city, the plan would increase space for animal habitats and enhance guest amenities. The proposed expansion, to 20.1 acres from its present 14.1 acres, would be the largest at the Land Park site since the 1960s, said zoo officials in September.
Simon will oversee about 100 employees, more than 300 animals representing 90 species, and the zoo’s education and conservation programs. He holds degrees in park management and business administration and is a graduate of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ executive leadership program.