Colleen Lynch is responsible for overseeing animal operations at the Zoo’s conservation and science facility in Front Royal, Virginia. Some of her career focuses include population biology, conservation breeding and management, and zoological collection planning.  She is also an expert on avian artificial incubation and hand-rearing.

Before arriving at the Smithsonian, Colleen held positions at several renowned zoological institutions, including San Diego Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina, where she served as Curator of Birds for over a decade. She has extensive experience in both the long-term and day-to-day operations at zoological facilities, including personnel management, strategic and master planning, community relations, and enhancing care standards across diverse animal species. 

In addition to her curatorial roles, Lynch has made significant contributions to population sustainability as a consulting population biologist at the AZA Population Management Center at Lincoln Park Zoo. She has served on advisory groups and contributed to genetic and demographic analyses and management plans for ex situ and in situ animal populations like the loggerhead shrike, island fox, and black-footed ferret. She also served in a leadership role as the co-convenor of the Blue-crowned Laughingthrush Global Species Management Plan.

Lynch received a Bachelor of Science in biology at Benedictine University and a Master of Science in evolutionary biology from Northern Illinois University.