About
The ZAHP Operations Committee was established by AAZV leadership and staff in late 2022 to oversee program operations and develop a strategic plan for ZAHP’s longevity under AAZV. The Committee Committee consists of 5 voting members including the Committee Chair, Vice Chair, Executive Committee Liaison, and 2 at-Large members.
Current Committee Members
Carrie Ullmer, DVM – Committee Chair
Dr. Carrie Ullmer is the head veterinarian at Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, TX. A 2007 graduate of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, she worked in small animal private practice after graduation, then served as the attending veterinarian at Mesker Park Zoo in Indiana from 2014 to 2021 before starting in her current role at Texas State Aquarium. In addition to serving on the ZAHP operations committee, Dr. Ullmer is also a member of the AAZV Member Services Committee and is a coauthor of the recently published Zoo and Aquarium Veterinary Medical Program and Hospital Guidelines, 7th Edition. She also serves on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and is an accreditation inspector for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Her current position allows her to engage in all the things she loves about veterinary medicine, including wildlife rehabilitation, teaching, and continuing to learn as the profession advances. When not at work, she enjoys cooking as well as gardening and other outdoor activities.
Ann Duncan, AAZV Secretary –Executive Committee Liaison
Dr. Ann Duncan is the Associate Vice President of Life Sciences at the Detroit Zoological Society. Dr. Duncan graduated from Michigan State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1991 and completed internship training in zoological medicine at the Knoxville Zoo and University of Tennessee. She has been a veterinarian at the Detroit Zoo since 1995 and oversees activities of the veterinary, water quality and animal care teams. She enjoys being able to provide care to animals throughout their entire lifetime and working with care teams to ensure that wellness and health are preserved to the greatest extent possible. She serves as a veterinary advisor to the Penguin TAG and the Chimpanzee SSP and also has interest in the medical challenges of great apes, amphibians and carnivores. She has been at the leading edge of utilizing implantable loop recorder technology to provide remote monitoring for cardiac arrhythmia in great apes. Career highlights include a trip to DRC to assist with veterinary exams on Grauer’s gorillas cared for the GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education), a trip to Liberia to assist with chimpanzee relocations and field work studying health parameters of gentoo and rockhopper penguins in the Falkland Islands. For over 30 years she has been the chair of the Midwest Regional Zoo Veterinary Association, organizing two meetings each year for members to share knowledge, tackle shared challenges and provide support.
Christie Hicks, DVM- Member at-Large
Dr. Christie Hicks obtained a B.S. in Zoology/PreVet from N.C. State University and is a Ross University Veterinary School graduate. She started her Veterinary career working with marine mammals and aquatics with small animal medicine on the side. She was then given the opportunity to help out at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and after 8+years in the marine mammal and aquatic fields shifted her focus over to zoo medicine. She completed a 1+year internship at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium and Wildlife Safari Park before becoming the first on-site Staff Veterinarian at the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Dr. Christie is currently a Relief Veterinarian for the Wildlife, Aquatic, Zoo Relief Vet Network. She is a member of AAZV, IAAAM, WDA, organizations to name a few and is licensed in many states. She is excited to be a member of the ZAHP Committee and looks forward to helping other institutions where she can!
Louden Wright, DVM Dipl. ACZM – Member at-Large
Dr. Louden Wright earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2015. In the following years, he completed an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the University of Wisconsin and an internship in exotic animal and wildlife medicine at Kansas State University. He completed a residency in zoological medicine at the University of California and the San Diego Zoo in 2020 and is a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine. Louden is currently an Associate Veterinarian at Nashville Zoo and originally came to the Nashville Zoo, where he originally began his zoo career as a high school intern. He is passionate about conservation of wildlife and wild spaces. His research focuses are on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of analgesic medications in novel species.
Brittni East, DVM – Member at-Large
Dana Lindemann – Member at-Large
Past Chairs
Gretchen Cole, DVM DACZM DECZM (ZHM)
Committee Chair (2023 – 2025)
Staff
Molly Gezella-Baranczyk – AAZV Executive Director
Molly joined AAZV as Executive Director June of 2024. Molly comes to the position with 25 years of diverse professional experience with nonprofit organizations dedicated to animal health.
Prior to joining AAZV, she had been with the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association where she has served as Executive Director. During her tenure, she increased membership and member services, modernized and improved operational efficiencies, and stewarded a cultural shift to enhance support and engagement of the organization’s mission.
Earlier in her career, Molly cared for animals directly at zoos like the Minnesota Zoo, Milwaukee County Zoo, and Northeastern Wisconsin Zoo. Her love of animals and passion for wildlife protection have been a driving force throughout her career.
Molly holds her Master of Public Affairs in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and her Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Natalie Romine – ZAHP Manager
Natalie manages the Zoo and Aquarium All Hazards Partnership. She graduated from the University of Exeter in Penryn, England in 2022 with her Master’s degree in Marine Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation, focusing on human-shark conflicts. She also has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Lynchburg College, where she wrote her thesis on improving research outcomes for paleontological digs. After university, she completed various internships, including one with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Wildlife Trafficking Alliance. She then went on to become an Educator at the Maryland Zoo, working with ambassador animals and running educational programs. In her spare time, she likes to paint, travel, and spend time with her dog, Penny. Natalie is excited to be a part of ZAHP and to work with the incredible people who dedicate their careers to helping animals near and far.