Michael I. Crowther (born 1952) is a retired American zoological conservationist. He was appointed president and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the

Indianapolis Zoo The Indianapolis Zoo is a non-profit zoo, public aquarium, and botanical garden in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Incorporated in 1944, the Indianapolis Zoological Society established the first zoo at George Washington Park in 1964. The c ...

in 2002 and retired in January, 2020.''School of the Black and Red''. A History of

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS or simply Modern) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in Bedford Charity, The Harpur Trust, born from the financial endowme ...

, by Andrew Underwood (1981); updated (2010) He was previously president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey State Aquarium. Crowther is known as creator of the

Indianapolis Prize The Indianapolis Prize is a biennial prize awarded by the Indianapolis Zoo to individuals for "extraordinary contributions to conservation efforts" affecting one or more animal species. Overview The Indianapolis Prize was established by the Ind ...

, an award for animal conservation. The Indianapolis Prize is widely regarded as the world's leading award in the field of animal conservation. The Michael I. Crowther Conservation Forum is a part of the biennial Indianapolis Prize programming and features a moderated discussion with both the most recent Indianapolis Prize winner and the winner of the Indianapolis Prize Emerging Conservationist Award.https://www.indianapoliszoo.com/prize/events/ In 2017, Crowther began working with officials of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) to develop a new resource for adding efficiency and accountability to the SSC's Assess-Plan-Act model of conservation. Crowther's plan for a Global Center for Species Survival, bringing key full-time specialist group coordinators together to manage the SSC's projects, was signed into agreement at the SSC's Annual Leaders Meeting in Abu Dhabi on October 7, 2019, and the Center opened on the Indianapolis Zoo campus in 2021 with startup funding from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Early life and education

Crowther was born in 1952 at

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population was 106,940. Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire and seat of the Borough of Bedford local government district. Bedford was founded at a ford (crossin ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. He was educated at

, and graduated from Salisbury High School in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania. Crowther emigrated to

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

with his family as a teenager.

Career

He was appointed president and

of the

in 2002. He was previously president and chief executive officer of the New Jersey State Aquarium. Crowther has served on the boards of the

International Species Information System Species360 (formerly International Species Information System, abbreviated as ISIS), founded in 1974, is an international non-profit organization that maintains an online database of wild animals under human care. As of 2023, the organization ser ...

, the

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (originally the Digit Fund) is a charity for the protection of endangered mountain gorillas. The Digit Fund was created by Dian Fossey in 1978 to finance her anti-poaching patrols and prevent further poaching of the mo ...

International, and The National Elephant Center. In 2014, Crowther was named a Distinguished Hoosier by Governor

Mitch Daniels Mitchell Elias Daniels Jr. (born April 7, 1949) is an American Academic administration, academic administrator, businessman, author, and retired politician who served as the 49th governor of Indiana from 2005 to 2013. A Republican Party (United ...

and received Indiana's Excellence in Innovation award. Crowther was named a member of the Order of the Sagamores of the Wabash, the State of Indiana's highest award, by Governor

Eric Holcomb Eric Joseph Holcomb ( ; born May 2, 1968) is an American politician who served as the 51st governor of Indiana, from 2017 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served from 2016 to 2017 as the 51st Lieuten ...

, in September, 2017. On February 15, 2019, Crowther was named International Citizen of the Year by The International Center. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett proclaimed December 6, 2019 - the day after Crowther's retirement party - as Michael Crowther Day in Indianapolis. Additionally, the Indianapolis Zoological Society named the biennial Indianapolis Prize leadership lecture in Crowther's honor, established the Michael I. Crowther Indianapolis Prize Endowment, and arranged for a bull elephant in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania to be named "Mike."

Personal life

Crowther and his wife, Eileen (Sweeney) Crowther, have two daughters, Megan and Erin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crowther, Michael People educated at Bedford Modern School Living people Salisbury High School (Pennsylvania) alumni 1952 births