James J. Breheny

Jim previously served on the Board of Directors for the Turtle Conservancy and has continued on the Advisory Board as a reflection of the long-standing organizational relationship between the Turtle Conservancy and the Wildlife Conservation Society. He is Executive Vice President of Zoos & Aquariums for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Director of the Bronx Zoo, overseeing the management and exhibition of the animal collections at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, Queens Zoo and the New York Aquarium. He received his undergraduate degree from Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY where he was also an adjunct in the Biology Department from 1988 through 2005. He received his graduate degree from Fordham University in 1984. Jim serves on the AZA Board of Directors and is a member of the Field Conservation Committee. He is also a member of the Zoo Advisory Committee of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and is on the board of the International Iguana foundation (IIF).

A naturalist with a keen interest in all animals, Jim has kept turtles and tortoises from a young age. “One of my earliest memories of the Bronx Zoo is of the Fly River turtle named Freddie who has been on exhibit in the Reptile House since 1958. There was something so mesmerizing about this alien creature and the way he swam; I was totally captivated! People that don’t have any knowledge or first-hand experience with turtles might find it hard to believe such an animal could be so charismatic. I think more than any other creature, that turtle helped foster a life-long interest and appreciation for turtles and tortoises.”