The National Elephant Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit managed by a Board of Directors. The Board establishes strategic direction, partnerships and governing policies and will manage The Center. The Board is responsible for fundraising to support capital development and operations. Members of The National Elephant Center board of directors are:

• President, Mark C. Reed, Executive Director, Sedgwick County Zoo (Wichita, Kansas)
• Vice President, Dr. Bill Foster, CEO, Birmingham Zoo
• Secretary, John Lehnhardt, Animal Operations Director, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Treasurer, Jerry Borin, Executive Director, Columbus (Ohio) Zoo & Aquarium
• Rick Barongi, Director, Houston Zoo
• Mike Blakely, Director, Little Rock Zoo
• Mike Crowther, President/CEO, Indianapolis Zoo
• Dr. Deborah Jensen, President/CEO, Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle)
• David Jones, Director, North Carolina Zoological Park
• Craig Piper, President/CEO, Denver Zoo

Founding board members no longer on the board are:

• Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, President and CEO, St. Louis Zoo
• Mike Fouraker, Executive Director, Ft. Worth Zoo
• The late Clayton Freiheit, President/CEO, Denver Zoo