Diane Villa Named NC Zoo Curator of Design

Asheboro, NC — The North Carolina Zoo has announced the appointment of Diane Villa as the park’s new Curator of Design.

Villa has previously served as the zoo’s graphics supervisor for 20 years. She replaces former Curator of Design Ellen Greer, who retired from the post at the end of 2013.

Prior to joining the zoo staff in 1994, Villa had worked as a graphic designer with the U.S. Air Force and also worked with artists at Western Carolina Center Foundation in Morganton, N.C.  She is the incoming president of the Board of Directors for the Randolph Arts Guild and currently works as a freelance artist and designer with her own company, “studiovilla.”  Her clients include Brookgreen Gardens and the City of High Point. Villa is a graduate of East Carolina University and Western Piedmont Community College.

In her new role Villa will manage the 14-member department that designs all in-park signage, brochures and other zoo publications as well as designing and creating artificial trees, climbing devices and the artificial rocks that serve as containment for many of the zoo’s animal exhibits.

Villa is married to Asheboro photographer Juan Villa and has three step children, Christina, Adrianna and John. She had served as acting Design Curator since Greer’s departure and was promoted to the position full time at the end of May.

The zoo is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, John E. Skvarla, III, Secretary; Pat McCrory,  Governor.

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