New Philanthropy Director Joins Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has announced its new Director of Philanthropy. Cree Zischke has joined the Museum staff after a long and prestigious career in various aspects of philanthropy and public service. She has an extremely diverse business background developed through senior leadership positions in the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

For the past five years, Zischke led Global Philanthropy and Community Relations for the Northwest and Intermountain Region at JP Morgan Chase. As Region Executive, she directed the Foundation’s work in six western states and was responsible for the investment of over $8.1 million annually in non-profit organizations through a “Community Renaissance” approach to strategic philanthropy.

As the Museum’s Director of Philanthropy, Zischke will oversee annual giving, major gifts, planned giving and membership at the Museum. She will work collaboratively with Robert Edison, Director Emeritus, who is conducting the Museum’s current capital campaign, Treasure the Desert Museum.

Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Zischke held senior leadership positions with U.S. Bancorp, Patterson Companies, UnitedHealth Group and the State of Arizona Department of Corrections. She has led workshops and spoken nationally on Creating Effective Partnerships, Corporate Giving, Leadership Development, and Mergers and Acquisition: Due Diligence through Integration. In addition, Zischke is a graduate of the University of Arizona.

She will begin her employment with the Desert Museum on June 23, 2014.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the nation’s leading outdoor, living museums. It ranks in the Top 10 Museums in the Word and Top 5 U.S. Botanical Garden by TripAdvisor.com. It is a fusion experience: zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, aquarium and art gallery all in one. Its purpose is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the bi-national, Sonoran Desert region. The Museum is located at 2021 N. Kinney Road, in Tucson Mountain Park adjacent to Saguaro National Park (West). It is open daily year round with operating hours varying by season. Call (520) 883-2702 or visit www.desertmuseum.org for more information.