Leadership

Nikki Dzialowy is the Facilities Manager at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. She's currently responsible for maintenance, horticulture, grounds, custodial, and safety committee. Her passion for sustainability and safety are the driving factors in her facilities world, constantly trying to find more sustainable and efficient ways of keeping zoos safe for staff, animals and guests. She enjoys problem solving and big picture planning. Outside of work she spends most of her time with her 13-year-old puppy, her 20-year-old Tortoise, and exploring their new community with her husband, Joe.

Sean Woods is the Facilities Operations Manager for the Louisville Zoo. His primary areas of responsibility include the Maintenance, Horticulture, Life Support, and Safety Departments. Sean began his work career at the Zoo as a seasonal Guest Services employee when he was in high school. After working in several different departments, Sean left the Zoo and was the Facilities Manager for downtown Louisville Metro Buildings. After working this job for several years and earning his Project Management Certification, Sean was thrilled to receive an opportunity to go back to the Zoo in a role he was very passionate about. Sean joined the AZFA several years ago when he returned to the Zoo and has enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many people and learn about the amazing things other Zoos do around the country.

In 2006, Mark came on board at the Cincinnati Zoo as the Senior Director of Facilities and Planning. In addition to the standard duties of a facilities manager, Mark is also the driving force behind the Zoo's distinction as the greenest Zoo in America.

Florence is an architectural designer, project manager, journalist, and design activist trained in architecture and mass media studies. She has orchestrated and was a core part of architecture, design-build construction and renovation projects that have garnered local and international press.  She has also edited and written numerous articles that have been published in The (Brazosport) Facts, Houston Chronicle, Modern Luxury Texas Interiors, Texas Architect, The Architect's Newspaper and Cite of the Rice Design Alliance. Florence received her degrees from Trinity University in San Antonio and Rice University in Houston.  She manages and designs small, medium and large Capital Expenditure and Centennial projects in-house for the Department of Design and Engineering of the Houston Zoo, a beloved cultural institution and leader among wildlife conservation. A past project that she managed and led the design efforts is the Brooklyn Studio in New York for award-winning artist Sean Kenney who works with LEGO bricks. It was double awarded with AIA Houston Design Awards for Interior Architecture and Renovation/Restoration.  As a young editor, she received an Honorable Mention Citation for editorial design from the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors. Florence is a community leader having served on the Executive Board of Directors of the Rice Design Alliance, Youth Leadership Council and Sunflower Mission, a grassroots nonprofit NGO, directing the communications and media campaign, helped raise more than $2 million dollars, built more than 114 classrooms, and awarded more than 8,000 scholarships to impoverished students. She is a Founding Member of Women in Architecture Houston and AIAH JE:DI. She is also a member of both AZA and AZFA.