I, at the time of the appointment, I don’t know whether I was relieved or disappointed. And I say that honestly, on one hand, I thought I deserved to be the director of the zoo because I had invested 25 years or so of my life in the institution. And… Read More
And that was done in a very cold and calculating way. And I was forced to be in a position to be the senior staff person who sat with the personnel manager and had to look these people in the face and to say to them, “We don’t need you… Read More
What was that relationship like?… Read More
And then how did that affect your long-term goals?… Read More
Well, when Kevin Bell was promoted to, was appointed director, I think initially not much changed between the two of us. I mean, essentially we went from being comrades and colleagues to comrades and colleagues, except that he was then in charge. I was kind of a reversal of roles,… Read More
I do not know, I can honestly say that I don’t know whether a national search was done after his departure. I can tell you that I was less than enthusiastic about applying for the position, because I could see the handwriting on the wall in terms of how the… Read More
But you did apply for the position?… Read More
I did make my interests known, but I wasn’t, I was mediocre about it. There was another individual within the staff that became, or was elevated to the zoo director position. Read More
Did he, I mean, did you continue to do your job responsibilities?… Read More
I continued to try to do my job responsibilities, but I was for ever being interrupted or interfered with, because there were so many things that he didn’t know nor know how to deal with them. And so I was, come with me we’re going to the park district, come… Read More
And after he left the zoo, they again, did another search or did they go just within the organization?… Read More
And were you still interested in the job?… Read More
What was the relationship like?… Read More
With the new director, Kevin Bell?… Read More
No, with the new director that came in after Dr. Fisher. Oh, with the new director after Dr. Fisher left Oh, ha, antagonistic. The man was completely unqualified for the position that he was awarded. It was almost an insult to the professional staff of the zoo that it essentially… Read More
There was all kinds of dispersal of both responsibility and power. And it pretty much was clear to me with that title change that I probably wasn’t going to be considered for director, because it was like, I don’t know what the right word is. It was like a quid… Read More
Who gave you the title change, Dr. Fisher?… Read More
Yes. But you did apply the job of director when he left. I applied for the job for director when he left, as he was leaving, as they were interviewing candidates. And I did that because not so much because I wanted the directorship of the zoo, as I wanted… Read More
Was this new position or was it again the title change?… Read More
That’s an interesting question about 1992, 1992 was about the time that Dr. Fisher announced his retirement and the zoo was soliciting or about to solicit candidates to replace him. I was very happy to have the title. I was, it was a title change and it also was a… Read More