Wendy Bulger

Wendy Bulger serves as the senior legal and compliance leader for San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, one of San Diego’s most iconic institutions and a major contributor to the region’s tourism and cultural identity. In her role, she oversees all legal matters, government relations, risk management, and global compliance for the organization.

Bulger joined San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in 1997 as its first in-house attorney and formally established its Legal Department in 2004. Over more than two decades, she has provided strategic counsel to executive leadership, strengthened the organization’s legal governance and ethics frameworks, and championed accessibility initiatives that have expanded the guest experience for visitors with disabilities — directly supporting SDZWA’s role as a world-class destination for millions of travelers each year.

A passionate advocate for the natural world that draws visitors to San Diego, Bulger established San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s delegation to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), collaborating with international partners to support accredited zoos in maintaining sustainable animal populations while combatting illegal wildlife trafficking and advancing global conservation.

Bulger holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington and a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law, where she focused on nonprofit law. She is a member of the California Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and the American Bar Association, and holds professional membership in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

A lifelong San Diego native, Bulger grew up visiting the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park — experiences she credits with igniting her lifelong commitment to wildlife and conservation, and to the city she is proud to call home.