John Linehan, the president and CEO of Zoo New England, has announced his plan to retire after heading up the organization, which includes the Franklin Park Zoo, for the last 22 years.

For 43 years, Linehan’s passion for wildlife and people has been the cornerstone of his work on behalf of Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo and their mission of education and conservation. Throughout his career, he has overseen incredible transformation and growth at both zoos, which continue to connect generations of visitors to the natural world.

“Throughout my career at the zoos, we have achieved so much, including many things I only dreamt about when I first started as a laborer right out of college. I’m incredibly proud of all the work on behalf of our beloved animals, as well as the passion and dedication of the staff, and all we continue to do to inspire the next generation of conservation stewards,” said Linehan, who will stay in his role until his successor is selected.

During his tenure, the Franklin Park Zoo was successfully transitioned from state agency management to a thriving non-profit model – Zoo New England. Both Zoos have achieved notable milestones under Linehan exceeding more than 1 million in annual visitation the past three fiscal years, exciting new experiences including Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience, and the ZooTeen program.

As a father of four, Linehan never forgot what it was like for children to fall in love with animals and the natural world. “There is no greater joy than watching a child’s first encounter with wildlife, whether it be a turtle, lion, cardinal, giraffe or gorilla,” he said.