Rodrick (Rick) Barongi
SENIOR CONSULTANT
With more than 50 years working in the zoo and conservation field, Rick’s experience ranges from zookeeper to zoo director. He has held executive leadership positions at the Walt Disney Company and the San Diego Zoo, and retired as Director of the Houston Zoo in 2015 to develop his own 100-acre non-profit conservation park in Fredericksburg, Texas (Longneckmanor.com).
As Director, Rick led the Houston Zoo through a successful privatization transition from a city-operated facility to a private nonprofit organization. He established it as one of the top zoos in the country and a recognized leader in zoo-based conservation.
Rick was Director of Animal Programs for the Walt Disney Company (1993-1999) and chief animal executive for the design and construction of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He led the efforts to create the Disney Conservation Fund, which has generated more than $100 million to support 2,000+ conservation projects around the world.
As an active member of the zoo and conservation community, Rick serves on the boards of the IRF (International Rhino Foundation) and the Okapi Conservation Project and as an advisor to GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center), the IUCN Tapir Specialist Group, Save Giraffes Now, and the Saola Governance Board. He has also served on the boards of both the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums). He is the co-editor of the 2015 WAZA Conservation Strategy and author of numerous zoo and conservation articles. He won the 2016 WAZA Heini Hediger Award for outstanding leadership in the zoo profession.
Rick has a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. in Zoology from Rutgers University. He is an avid wildlife trekker and photographer and has traveled extensively to Africa (over 50 trips), South America and Asia. He currently resides in the Texas Hill Country in Fredericksburg, Texas, where he leads his Longneck Manor Conservation Foundation. He and his life partner Diane also have a home in Sarasota, Florida and share three yellow labs “children”: Cooper, Drifter, and Boone.
As Director, Rick led the Houston Zoo through a successful privatization transition from a city-operated facility to a private nonprofit organization. He established it as one of the top zoos in the country and a recognized leader in zoo-based conservation.
Rick was Director of Animal Programs for the Walt Disney Company (1993-1999) and chief animal executive for the design and construction of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He led the efforts to create the Disney Conservation Fund, which has generated more than $100 million to support 2,000+ conservation projects around the world.
As an active member of the zoo and conservation community, Rick serves on the boards of the IRF (International Rhino Foundation) and the Okapi Conservation Project and as an advisor to GRACE (Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center), the IUCN Tapir Specialist Group, Save Giraffes Now, and the Saola Governance Board. He has also served on the boards of both the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) and WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums). He is the co-editor of the 2015 WAZA Conservation Strategy and author of numerous zoo and conservation articles. He won the 2016 WAZA Heini Hediger Award for outstanding leadership in the zoo profession.
Rick has a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.S. in Zoology from Rutgers University. He is an avid wildlife trekker and photographer and has traveled extensively to Africa (over 50 trips), South America and Asia. He currently resides in the Texas Hill Country in Fredericksburg, Texas, where he leads his Longneck Manor Conservation Foundation. He and his life partner Diane also have a home in Sarasota, Florida and share three yellow labs “children”: Cooper, Drifter, and Boone.
