First Gentleman of Colorado, Marlon Reis, Named Honorary Board Chair at Butterfly Pavilion

Denver, CO – December 12, 2022 – First Gentleman of Colorado, Marlon Reis, has been named Honorary Board Chair at Butterfly Pavilion.  The board comprises community members who care about invertebrate education and conservation. In his role as First Gentleman, Reis is a champion for the natural world and will join Butterfly Pavilion in a commitment to increasing invertebrate populations and sustaining healthy habitats worldwide.

“I have always been passionate about the natural world and the interconnections between people, animals, and the environment,” said Reis. “Supporting Butterfly Pavilion in my new role is a natural evolution for me to help champion invertebrate conservation and protection – since our survival depends on these tiny but mighty creatures.”

As Butterfly Pavilion Honorary Board Chair, Reis will help promote and support Butterfly Pavilion’s many endeavors, including:

• Pollinator District development, communities designed to conserve and improve habitat for pollinators in all aspects of development and operation

• Colorado and global invertebrate research, education, and conservation efforts

• Community Science and additional Colorado-wide programs

• Invertebrate educational programming for all ages

“We are honored that the First Gentleman is joining as Honorary Chair and look forward to the positive impact he will make to help invertebrate populations and habitats globally,” said Patrick Tennyson, President and CEO of Butterfly Pavilion.  “Reis’ support is an incredible testament to how far Butterfly Pavilion has come in the last 27 years and how far we will go to be the global leader in invertebrate research, education, and conservation.”

Governor Polis signed SB22-199 Native Pollinating Insects Protection Study sponsored by Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, Senator Kevin Priola, Representative Cathy Kipp, and Representative Meg Froelich this summer at Butterfly Pavilion with First Gentleman Marlon Reis.

About Butterfly Pavilion

Butterfly Pavilion has been part of the Colorado community since 1995. It is the first Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited, stand-alone, non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world, currently occupying a 34,000-square-foot facility situated on an 11-acre campus provided by the City of Westminster, Colorado. Butterfly Pavilion’s mission is to foster an appreciation of invertebrates by educating the public about the need to protect and care for threatened habitats globally, while researching solutions to invertebrate conservation.

Beyond Colorado and the United States, Butterfly Pavilion conservationists are doing important invertebrate conservation projects worldwide, from Mongolia and Saudi Arabia to Tanzania and Indonesia. Closer to home, a new Butterfly Pavilion Baseline development will open in Broomfield, Colorado, in 2025, setting the global standard for invertebrate science and conservation. The $55M, 81,000-square-foot facility will include significantly expanded guest experiences, world-class research labs, and a much larger zoological facility.