Andrea Rodgers serves as Chief Operating Officer of Brookfield Zoo Chicago, where she leads a broad portfolio spanning guest experience, campus operations, marketing and communications, membership, technology, public safety, facilities and grounds, and strategic revenue operations. As a member of the Zoo’s Executive Leadership Team, she helps guide institutional strategy, operational excellence, long-range campus planning, and the Zoo’s continued evolution as a leading cultural, conservation, and tourism destination.
Known for her strategic leadership and ability to connect mission with growth, Andrea has played a central role in advancing major institutional initiatives, including the Zoo’s multi-year strategic planning efforts, revenue and guest experience transformation strategies, and long-term master planning vision. She oversees integrated operational and audience engagement strategies that support nearly two million annual guests while reinforcing the Zoo’s commitment to conservation, education, animal wellbeing, and community impact.
Prior to joining Brookfield Zoo Chicago, Andrea spent more than a decade at Shedd Aquarium as part of the senior leadership team, where she led marketing, communications, digital strategy, and government affairs initiatives and contributed to the development of the aquarium’s Centennial Commitment strategic and master plans. Earlier in her career, Andrea held leadership roles in strategic communications, business development, and philanthropic engagement with both a prominent multi-state law firm and a full-service public relations and marketing agency, where she led campaigns and client initiatives across tourism, healthcare, economic development, and consumer sectors.
Andrea is an active leader within the zoo and aquarium profession and regional tourism community. She currently serves on the Ethics Board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and on the boards of Choose DuPage and Explore Oak Park & Beyond. She previously served in leadership roles with the AZA Public Relations Committee and Aquarium Conservation Partnership Executive Committee and was selected for AZA’s Executive Leadership Development Program. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and public relations from Arkansas State University.
