As the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Jennifer Baader is an experienced advocate for environmental issues at the local, state, and federal levels. She is responsible for cultivating and maintaining relationships with government officials and securing governmental support and legislative actions that support Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s mission. Alongside a passion for public advocacy’s role in conservation efforts, she was drawn to the Zoo in 2016 as a space that helps youth build empathy for wildlife and nature—just as it did for her when she was a teen in zoo programs and an animal care specialist in the original Children’s Zoo. 

Given her prior position as Assistant Counsel with the Illinois House of Representatives, she has a strong background in policy analysis and a thorough understanding of legislative and regulatory processes locally and nationally. A natural relationship-builder, she forges productive partnerships with government officials, agencies, and advocacy organizations, educating stakeholders on key issues and thoughtfully representing the Zoo’s mission. Under her leadership, the Zoo was awarded $60m from the State of Illinois in 2020 to support capital improvements for its nearly 100-year-old campus. In 2022, she was instrumental in securing $4M in annual infrastructure funding for the Zoo as a Steering Committee member of a county-wide referendum campaign, which passed with nearly 70% support. She has also had past roles with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 office, the Chicago Park District, Openlands and the Illinois Pollution Control Board. 

She serves as Lead Affiliate Board Member to the Illinois Environmental Council and Commissioner on the Brookfield Economic Development Commission. She received her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned her Juris Doctorate at Chicago-Kent College of Law with a Certificate in Environmental and Energy Law.  

Her favorite animal at the Zoo is the okapi!