Aaron Cleveland became Foundation Director in January 2026 after previously serving as a consultant. He holds a B.S. in Middle School Education from the University of Louisville and has a background in public education and zoo and theme park operations.

He has served on multiple nonprofit boards, including as Vice President of the Central Indiana Land Trust, and is currently President of the Minneapolis Sound Museum Board. He has volunteered with organizations such as SIA: the Comanche Ethno-Ornithological Initiative, which maintains the largest collection of living eagles in North America and is the first to successfully breed the critically endangered Hawaiian Hawk in captivity. He has sat on many Zoological Association of America committees. He currently volunteers with APOPO Hero Rats, the Mill Mountain Zoo, and the Zoological Disaster Rescue, Response, and Recovery (ZDR3).

An expert in reptile and arachnid husbandry, Cleveland has published articles and led seminars on the subject. He has also designed and installed museum and zoo exhibits nationwide and is frequently consulted on exhibit development, feasibility studies, and economic impact assessments.

Caring for animals and conserving their habitat is a family affair, his wife, Dr. Meg Gammage-Tucker, is the President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia (she rescued 76 Bald Eagles last year) and his daughter is a non-profit professional and co-owner of one of the largest home dog care providers in Atlanta, GA.

Aaron can be reached at Foundationdirector@baldeagles.org