July 23, 2025

City Club event description:

Speaker
Dr. Michael J. Adkesson
Dr. Mike Adkesson is a renowned leader in wildlife conservation and the professional care of animals. He is a passionate advocate on the importance of modern zoos and aquariums as a means for inspiring societal compassion and concern for wildlife and nature.

As President & CEO of Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Dr. Adkesson is building upon the rich history of one of the world’s preeminent zoos. The zoo’s Next Century Plan, developed under Dr. Adkesson’s leadership, lays out a bold vision for the zoo’s future that is already coming to life with the innovative $66 million Tropical Forests project opening in 2025, as well as other ongoing major investments in zoo’s campus. With an average of 2 million annual guests, Brookfield Zoo supports thousands of jobs and generates over $153 million in annual economic activity. Dr. Adkesson champions educational programs, such as the zoo’s King Conservation Leadership Academy, that inspire communities and people of all backgrounds to connect with nature.

Since first joining the zoo in 2008 as a clinical veterinarian, Dr. Adkesson has made significant strides in advancing the zoo’s animal care and conservation programs. A recognized leader within the zoo and aquarium community, Dr. Adkesson is known for groundbreaking veterinary programs that push boundaries and elevate the standards of care for zoo patients. As a diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine and the European College of Zoological Medicine, Dr. Adkesson is one of a few veterinarians who are board-certified specialists in the veterinary care of zoo animals and wildlife. For almost twenty years, Dr. Adkesson has also led conservation programs in Peru focusing on endangered marine species like the Humboldt penguin, Peruvian fur seal, and South American sea lion. His focus on conservation and engaging Zoo guests in that mission is a driving force as he leads Brookfield Zoo Chicago on a bold journey into the future.

City Club video

A past-president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians and a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Dr. Adkesson is also actively involved in many other professional organizations at both a local level serving on the board of the Forest Preserve Foundation and at an international level serving on the board of Species360. Dr. Adkesson has trained hundreds of veterinary and graduate students throughout his career as an adjunct professor with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and an associate researcher with Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru. An accomplished researcher and clinician, Dr. Adkesson is also the author of over a hundred peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings.

Dr. Adkesson (or Dr. Mike as he is known at the zoo) is an Illinois native who grew up in Decatur. He received his Bachelor’s and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with honors degrees from the University of Illinois, later returning to the University’s Gies College of Business to also complete a Master’s in Business Administration degree. Following a post-graduate clinical internship year in medicine and surgery, Dr. Adkesson completed a three year residency program in zoological medicine at the University of Missouri and Saint Louis Zoo. He lives in Lemont with his wife Adriane, also a veterinarian, and their three children, two dogs, and a pair of tortoises.