Submitted Photo Becky Dewitz, director of Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot, speaks at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Amur tiger habitat in June. Dewitz will be leaving the Minot zoo to become chief executive officer of the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Becky Dewitz, director of Minot’s Roosevelt Park Zoo, will be leaving that position shortly to become chief executive officer of the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The board of directors of the zoo and museum announced Dewitz’s departure on Monday. Her last day at Roosevelt Park Zoo is Oct. 9.

“She has accomplished so much in her 14 years at Roosevelt Park Zoo, including building a new lion and tiger exhibit. We know her experience and expertise will be a great asset to the zoo,” said Jeff Hugunin, chair of the Great Plains Zoo board in the news release issued Monday. “With her vision, commitment to conservation, and so many relationships within the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) community, she will clearly take the zoo to the next level.”

Great Plains Zoo, a 45-acre park, has more than 1,000 animals from around the world, according to its website. The zoo also includes the Delbridge Museum of Natural History, a one-in-the-world collection of 150 mounted animals including 38 “vanishing species.”

Hugunin also credited Dewitz for her success in fundraising, bringing the Minot zoo through AZA accreditation and the zoo’s recovery from the 2011 flood and its continuing development for making her “ideally suited to lead the zoo and increase its mission, economic, and quality of life impact for the city and the greater region. Having come up through the education areas of the zoo in Minot, she recognizes its importance in delivering on the zoo’s mission and the benefits to kids throughout the community.”

“I love this zoo, the staff, our animals and our community,” said Dewitz of the Minot zoo. “I would like to stress how grateful I am to have been a part of Roosevelt Park zoo for the past 14 years albeit different capacities, having started as educator in 2006 to my current role since April 2016.”

Prior to becoming Minot zoo director, Dewitz was part of the team spearheading evacuation and recovery in 2011 and served with the Greater Minot Zoological Society.

Roosevelt Park Zoo has 159 animals of 68 species. The zoo’s attendance in 2019 reached 94,876.

According to zoo information, in Dewitz’s four years as Roosevelt Park Zoo director, she guided the zoo’s first capital campaign, completing new habitats for African lions in 2019 and Amur tigers in 2020. Plans are under way and funds being raised for new habitat for the leopards.

Under her direction, new species were added at the zoo including okapi in 2017 and black-footed ferret in 2017 and improvements were made in the Children’s Zoo.

Master planning for the zoo has had a place of great importance for Dewitz, including the navigation of flood control plans in an effort to guide a positive impact at the zoo.

AZA accreditation was obtained in 2019, continuing a 30-year achievement and legacy for the zoo.

“Dewitz is mission driven, focusing efforts on conservation, saving animals from extinction, as well as quality of life for both the animals in our care and the community we serve,” according to Minot zoo information.

Among the conservation efforts at the Minot zoo was a monarch butterfly program including adding a pollinator garden in the zoo and holding a Flutter Fest at the zoo.

A native of South Dakota, Dewitz lived in Faith, S.D., as a small child and Clear Lake, S.D., during her youth. She graduated from South Dakota State University at Brookings. Her husband’s career in wind energy brought the family to the Minot area in 2005. Dewitz, her husband, Neal, and two children will be moving to Sioux Falls where she will assume her new role as chief executive officer at the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History in late October.

Roosevelt Park Zoo is owned and operated by the Minot Park District. It is the oldest zoo in North Dakota.