Susan Altrui was surrounded by her besties during a Jan. 30 reception to celebrate her new post as director of the Little Rock Zoo. In December, she was named to replace longtime Director Mike Blakely, who retired in October. Altrui was assistant zoo director under Blakely.
The crowd gathered in the zoo's Cafe Africa shared nibbles, beer and wine, then took in remarks by Little Rock City Manager Bruce Moore and Altrui herself. Friends and colleagues clapped and cheered when she was introduced. Dressed in a black suit over a striking royal blue blouse, she acknowledged close friends such as state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and her parents, David and Ruth Altrui.
"I was raised by the best," the daughter said.
Several members of the zoo's board of governors also attended, along with dignitaries including Arkansas first lady Susan Hutchinson and former Little Rock mayors Lottie Shackelford and Jim Dailey. Shackelford, Moore said, "put pressure on me to make the right decision."
With 12 years at the state's only accredited zoo, Altrui promised to "dive in" and "immerse" herself in the goals for the zoo, which include making it one of the top midcity zoos in the country and inspiring the next generation of wildlife conservationists.
-- Story and photos by Cyd King
High Profile on 02/12/2017