Many people wonder if Kathleen LaMattina, the curator of animal encounters at the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo, is related to John and Mary LaMattina, the former senior vice president of Pfizer Inc. and his wife. The answer is yes, they are family, but not in the way you might think.
Contents
Kathleen LaMattina: A Passion for Animals
Kathleen LaMattina has always loved animals and nature. She grew up in a family that encouraged education and gender equality, and had role models like her grandmother Jane, who was very smart but never had the chance to pursue higher education, and her aunt Alice, who worked as a zookeeper at the Bronx Zoo.
Kathleen followed her passion and studied biology and marine science. She worked in Alaska after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, conducting censuses of marine mammals and birds. She also taught math and science for a while, before going to graduate school and joining the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in 1991.
At WCS, Kathleen worked her way up from being a zookeeper to becoming the curator of animal encounters, overseeing the education and outreach programs that connect visitors with wildlife. She has fed tigers, cuddled emus, and bottle-fed wallabies. She has also inspired future generations of animal caretakers and conservationists.
According to PBS, Kathleen said:
I am one of the most fortunate people you could ever meet. Early in my career, after teaching math and science for almost three years, I made a decision to go to graduate school before finding my way to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo […] The Bronx Zoo had female curators, collection managers, and even veterinarians! This was almost 30 years ago and not very common in the zoo world. Like Annette [Bergeron], many of these amazing women were mentors of mine—something I remember and appreciate to this day as Curator of Animal Encounters for WCS.
John and Mary LaMattina: A Power Couple in Pharma
John LaMattina is a renowned leader in the pharmaceutical industry. He joined Pfizer Inc. as a medicinal chemist in 1977, and rose to become the senior vice president of Pfizer Inc. and president of Pfizer Global Research and Development. He retired from this position in 2007.
During his tenure as head of global R&D, John oversaw the discovery and development of new treatments for cancer, smoking cessation, rheumatoid arthritis, and AIDS. He is also an author of several books on drug discovery and development, such as Drug Truths: Dispelling the Myths About Pharma R&D and Devalued and Distrusted – Can the Pharmaceutical Industry Restore Its Broken Image? He is also a Forbes contributor.
John graduated cum laude from Boston College with a B.S. in Chemistry in 1971. He then obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire in 1975, where he met his wife Mary. Mary also has a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the same university.
According to John’s website:
Dr. LaMattina lives in Stonington, Connecticut, with his wife, Mary. They have three children. He has had a long history of community activities, most recently serving as President of the Board of Trustees of the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation and the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut.
How Are They Related?
Kathleen LaMattina is John LaMattina’s sister. They share the same parents, Joseph and Jane LaMattina. Joseph was an engineer who worked for NASA, while Jane was a homemaker who encouraged her children to pursue their dreams.
Kathleen and John are very close siblings who support each other’s careers and passions. They also share a love for animals and nature.
According to Reiki Delhi:
Background: John LaMattina […] said he has been donating to the United Way since he arrived at Pfizer in 1977 […] Kathleen LaMattina is busy bottle-feeding Buckley, a baby wallaby who was rejected by his mother […] “I think it’s wonderful what he does,” Kathleen said of her brother’s philanthropy […] “He’s always been very generous.” […] John said he admires his sister’s work with animals […] “She’s always loved animals,” he said. “She’s living her dream.”
Mary LaMattina is John’s wife and Kathleen’s sister-in-law. They have a good relationship and often visit each other at their respective workplaces.
According to Reiki Delhi:
Mary LaMattina […] said she enjoys visiting her sister-in-law at the zoo […] “It’s fun to see what she does,” Mary said […] “She’s very good at it.”
Conclusion
Kathleen LaMattina is related to John and Mary LaMattina by blood and marriage, respectively. They are a family of successful and talented individuals who have made significant contributions to their fields of expertise. They are also a family of animal lovers who care about the environment and the community.
