Joan Kagan joins Zoo in Forest Park’s Board of Directors

SPRINGFIELD – At its October meeting, The Zoo in Forest Park’s Board of Directors voted unanimously to add long-time nonprofit leader Joan Kagan to the board.
 

In 2021, Kagan retired as president and CEO of Springfield’s Square One, a role she held since 2003. Prior to assuming her position at Square One, Kagan served as the western Massachusetts director for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and for 17 years was with Brightside for Families and Children, leaving as vice president of community programs.
 

Kagan received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her master’s degree in social work from Columbia University in New York. She is a licensed clinical social worker in Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut.  She is a past trustee of the Elms College, past chair of the Springfield College Social Work Advisory Board and the Human Service Forum and previously served on the Western New England University Social Work Training committee and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.
 

She had served on the Board of Directors for many organizations, including the Human Services Provider’s Council, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Association for Day Care Agencies. Kagan was also a member of the Early Education for All Advisory Committee, the Cherish Every Child Advisory Board and the Early Literacy Panel for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In addition to her new role on The Zoo in Forest Park’s Board of Directors, she currently serves on the Children’s Investment Fund Board of Directors and is a member and past president of the Holyoke Rotary Club.
 

“We are so honored to welcome Joan Kagan to the Forest Park Zoological Society Board of Directors,” said Nathan Bazinet, president, The Zoo in Forest Park’s Board of Directors. “Joan brings an infinite amount of skill and knowledge that will be instrumental in defining our future, bolstering our programming and, as a well-respected leader, expanding our reach and impact throughout the region.
 

“As a fellow steward of The Zoo in Forest Park, Joan’s passionate advocacy of our work will help to ensure that we serve our animals, our mission, and our community for years to come,” Bazinet added.

 

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