Skip to content
Nonprofiteer
← HOUSTON ZOO INC

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by HOUSTON ZOO INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$82,522,000
Total expenses
$62,823,859
Contributions and grants received
$26,684,759
Grants paid
$3,130,673
Program service revenue
$52,272,056
Investment income
$3,748,036
Other revenue
-$182,851
Total assets, end of year
$379,916,374
Total liabilities, end of year
$61,831,126
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$318,085,248
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$54,360,282
Management and general expenses
$4,707,431
Fundraising expenses
$3,756,146
Program service expenses (Part III)
$54,360,282

Program services were 86.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Listed in Part VII

  • Joe Cleary

    Board Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4
  • Stacy Methvin

    Immediate Past Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    4
  • Joshua Davidson

    Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Cullen Geiselman

    Vice Chair thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jim Postl

    Vice Chair

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Molly Voorhees

    Vice Chair thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Sami Ahmad

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Saied Alavi

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • George Basu

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Carlos Bueno

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Beto Cardenas

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kris Chikelue

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Anne Clutterbuck

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Heather Crowder

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Michael Dishberger

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kerry Galvin

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Eureka Gilkey

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Gillian Hobson

    Board Member thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Myrtle Jones

    Board Member thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Sanjay Kalavar

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Peggy Kostial

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jennifer Laporte

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Claire Liu

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kelley Lubanko

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kimberly McKay

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Cay Neff

    Board Member thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Stacy O'Malley

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Bryon Pope

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Alie Pruner

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Nancy Pustka

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ron Rand

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Tim Roberts

    Board Member thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Liz Schwarze

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Jordan Seff

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Bas Solleveld

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Macey Stokes

    Board Member thru 6/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Brian Thomas

    Board Member as of 7/23

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Cynthia Walker

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Kelli Weinzierl

    Board Member

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Bill Barnett

    Member Emeritus

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Anne Duncan

    Member Emeritus

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Robert Graham

    Member Emeritus

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Randa Duncan Williams

    Member Emeritus

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Austin Young

    Member Emeritus

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Lee Ehmke

    President & CEO

    Total calculated
    $640,638
    From this org
    $618,028
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,610
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $511,769
    Bonus
    $104,545
    Other
    $1,714
    Deferred
    $13,200
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,410
    Filer's total
    $640,638
  • Sheryl Kolasinski

    COO

    Total calculated
    $351,718
    From this org
    $331,239
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $20,479
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $289,823
    Bonus
    $39,702
    Other
    $1,714
    Deferred
    $11,069
    Nontaxable benefits
    $9,410
    Filer's total
    $351,718
  • Jeri Nordbrock

    CFO

    Total calculated
    $312,730
    From this org
    $293,077
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,653
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $257,962
    Bonus
    $33,401
    Other
    $1,714
    Deferred
    $8,593
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,060
    Filer's total
    $312,730
  • Roberto Espinosa

    VP Development

    Total calculated
    $287,387
    From this org
    $258,538
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $28,849
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $224,903
    Bonus
    $33,275
    Other
    $360
    Deferred
    $10,694
    Nontaxable benefits
    $18,155
    Filer's total
    $287,387
  • Kristin Finney

    VP Human Resources

    Total calculated
    $272,057
    From this org
    $249,860
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $22,197
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $213,429
    Bonus
    $36,071
    Other
    $360
    Deferred
    $7,580
    Nontaxable benefits
    $14,617
    Filer's total
    $272,057
  • Trazanna Moreno

    VP Marketing and Communications

    Total calculated
    $245,471
    From this org
    $232,788
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $12,683
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $204,508
    Bonus
    $27,920
    Other
    $360
    Deferred
    $1,231
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,452
    Filer's total
    $245,471
  • Kevin Hodge

    VP Animal Programs

    Total calculated
    $229,589
    From this org
    $195,360
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $34,229
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $171,931
    Bonus
    $23,069
    Other
    $360
    Deferred
    $8,312
    Nontaxable benefits
    $25,917
    Filer's total
    $229,589
  • Peter Riger dec

    VP Conservation and Education

    Total calculated
    $187,462
    From this org
    $176,832
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $10,630
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $64,628
    Bonus
    $111,767
    Other
    $437
    Deferred
    $7,110
    Nontaxable benefits
    $3,520
    Filer's total
    $187,462
  • James Hutchinson

    Director of Finance

    Total calculated
    $184,891
    From this org
    $176,545
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $8,346
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $173,105
    Bonus
    $3,200
    Other
    $240
    Deferred
    $7,052
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,294
    Filer's total
    $184,891

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 2 · Substantiation required before reimbursing expenses
  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

Part I, Line 4b
Lee Ehmke participates in a 457(b) Top Hat plan. The contribution for 2023 was $20,348.
Part I, Line 7
The Houston Zoo has an Incentive Plan for eligible individuals based on their achievement of organizational goals and individual/department goals aligned with the Zoo's Strategic Plan. The Human Resources Committee of the Board reserves the right to amend, modify, suspend, or terminate the Leadership Incentive Plan, in whole or in part, at any time, for any reason, with or without notice. The CEO retains the discretion to withhold any or all portions of the Plan payout to an eligible employee or employees for performance, disciplinary or other reasons.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
15 November 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.1
Source object
202423209349311872

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.