May

Steve Monfort is retiring after 35 years at the Smithsonian

Will Pitt will step in as Acting Deputy Director for the National Zoo and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Monfort head shot — Steven Monfort, John and Adrienne Mars Director, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (Photo by Mehgan Murphy)

Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research, announced May 28 that Dr. Steve Monfort, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, is retiring from the Smithsonian next month to explore new opportunities in the conservation field.

For nearly 35 years, Steve has been employed with NZP in various capacities beginning in 1986, when he established NZP’s Endocrinology Research Laboratory at SCBI.

Throughout his career at the Smithsonian, Steve has been a scientific leader with a passion for training the next generation of conservation professionals. He served as NZP’s Associate Director for Conservation and Science, overseeing research scientists and veterinarians, technicians, support staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and interns. From 2006 to 2017, Steve served as Director of SCBI, during which time he revitalized the Front Royal campus and established new, long-term partnerships, including the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation and the National Ecological Observatory Network.

During Steve’s tenure, NZP and SCBI formed innovative collaborations with other zoos, nongovernmental organizations, and foreign governments to achieve significant conservation outcomes, such as the Sahara Conservation Fund’s reintroduction of the scimitar-horned oryx into Chad, and the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project based at STRI. Steve was a co-founder of the Smithsonian’s Conservation Commons, and he co-convened the first-ever Earth Optimism Summit in 2017. Through the years, Steve grew financial support for the Northern Great Plains Conservation Program, the Bird House exhibit renovation, the Working Land and Seascapes initiative, and the giant panda, among others. During Steve’s tenure, NZP welcomed baby panda Xiao Qi Ji, and in December 2020, he successfully extended the NZP’s giant panda agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association through 2023.

The Smithsonian and NZP/SCBI have benefited from Steve’s passion, dedication, and leadership. We congratulate him for his dedicated service to the Smithsonian, and we wish him much continued success in his future endeavors. Steve’s last day with the Smithsonian will be August 31. As we transition NZP/SCBI, Steve will serve as a senior advisor to me in the Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Research. In the coming months, the Smithsonian will launch a national search for a new Director for NZP/SCBI. In the meantime, Brandie Smith, NZP Deputy Director, will serve as Acting Director of NZP/SCBI, and Will Pitt, currently SCBI Deputy Director, will step in as Acting Deputy Director for NZP/SCBI.