Raymond King is President and CEO of Zoo Atlanta, a position he has held since June 1, 2010.  Under his leadership, annual attendance has steadily grown from 675,000 to 1 million, allowing the Zoo to emerge from consistent operating losses up until 2010 to consistent operating surpluses.  At the same time, Raymond has led Zoo Atlanta in raising over $80 million of philanthropic support and over $60 Million of public support (over $140 Million in aggregate) to modernize the facility – each well more than was raised in the 25 previous years cumulatively as a private institution.

Prior to Zoo Atlanta, Raymond enjoyed a 22-year career with SunTrust Banks, Inc., most recently serving as their Senior Vice President for Community Affairs in Atlanta.  Prior to that, Raymond spent his entire career at SunTrust in various corporate banking units with escalating leadership responsibilities.

He is currently serving on the Boards of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Central Atlanta Progress, and Furman University.  From 2010-2016, he served on the Advisory Board of Hire Dynamics which grew to be the 2nd largest staffing company in metro Atlanta and had a very successful exit via sale to a private equity firm.

His previous civic experience includes Chairing 6 non-profit boards: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Regional Business Coalition, Committee for a Better Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Arts & Culture Coalition, Theatre in the Square, and Research Atlanta.  He has also served on the Boards of Atlanta Girls School, The Civic League, and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Metro Atlanta.

In recognition of his community leadership, Raymond was named “Most Admired Non-Profit CEO” 3 consecutive years (maximum allowed) by Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2014-16; and has been listed as one of the “100 Most Influential Atlantans” annually by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Raymond spent his first year of college at Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina, where he played on the men’s varsity tennis team.  He then went on to Georgia Tech where he graduated with a B.S. in Management with Honors in 1987 and was a member of The Chi Phi Fraternity.  He is age 57. A native of Atlanta, he is married to Robin Lord King, and they have a 21-year-old daughter, Courtney King, a Junior at Furman.  He is a member of Atlanta Rotary, Leadership Atlanta, Cherokee Town & Country Club, The Ford Field & River Club, and Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.