President, CEO of Woodland Park Zoo announces resignation

SEATTLE -- Deborah Jensen announced her resignation Monday as president and CEO of Woodland Park Zoo. It is effective at the end of July.

Bruce Bohmke, currently the zoo’s chief operations officer, will serve as acting president and CEO while the zoo looks for a replacement.

"On behalf of the Zoo Society, I want to express our deep gratitude for Dr. Jensen’s 13 years of leadership at the zoo through a period of dynamic change and growth," said Woodland Zoo Board Chairwoman Laurie Stewart.  "She has successfully led the zoo through a change of management from the City of Seattle to the Society and leaves a financially strong organization with more than 40,000 member households, an operating budget of $36 million and a $12 million endowment."

The resignation announcement  does not mention the uproar surrounding her agency's decision to close its elephant exhibit and move the animals to Oklahoma.

Jensen's announcement comes about a month after elephants Bamboo and Chai arrived in their new home in Oklahoma City.

Jensen was the public face of the zoo during the months of debate and protests over the decision to move the elephants to another facility.

After leaving at the end of July, she plans to work in the College of the Environment at the University of Washington.