Where did this come from?” And then I put it in the context of where we all were as a staff, and where we all were as a profession, and realized that that was probably one of the most significant, significant activities in terms of animals, it certainly was larger,… Read More
Tell me about it, how did that occur?… Read More
Are there projects that you either developed or had to follow through on that involved the community and were they important?… Read More
I, and thinking about community interaction and the larger audience beyond the zoo itself, the only time that I can think of community involvement was when I put together information for other people to use. I never really either had the opportunity or had the assignment to interact at that… Read More
And when I finished reading my remarks, I essentially said to myself, “Who is this guy?… Read More
I mean, did you have power to direct this group and is that what you wanted to do?… Read More
I believe that the chair’s responsibility then, as it should be now, is to gain a consensus, to take input from different sources and to mold it or shape it by consensus to a viable plan that can be carried out, in a sense, I had the final say, but… Read More
Obviously Lincoln Parks who needed it, and you had a neighborhood zoo, did you have to be involved with the community in any of these things to bring them closer to the zoo?… Read More
Were you able to then do things in an arena you hadn’t been able to do it at Lincoln Park and was this just a ceremonial thing or did you actually have to do something?… Read More
Oh, I actually had to do something, when the IUCN calls, they ask you to volunteer to do things. And essentially my task for the edentate specialist group was to get together with like-minded and experienced sloth, anteater, and Armadillo researchers, zoo people, scientists, and to develop an evaluation system,… Read More
Were you able to make changes or recommendations as the chair?… Read More
And I had been coached by the public relations person at the zoo. I didn’t have a choice about whether to do this interview or not, there was nobody else who was going to do it. If, and in hindsight, if I had been smart, what I would have done… Read More
So I think in a way I got my revenge. So there was a life lesson learned for you. Absolutely absolutely a life lesson learned professionally. And that is even if you know what you’re talking about, even if you think you are as best prepared as you can, even… Read More
How did that appointment come about?… Read More
Well, it always went to the director. It always went to the director, unless it was too hot to handle. It always went to the director if it was going to be positive, it was always going to the director if it was, something would put the zoo in a… Read More
Any stories that come to mind?… Read More
Oh, sure, absolutely. Give me one. Absolutely, my worst encounter, taught me life lesson about how you can be set up to this day. I’ve tracked back about seven, eight civit, but there’s one eight that’s missing. I was tasked with the charge of talking to a investigative reporter from… Read More
And I felt personally and professionally that that was, I wasn’t gonna let that happen. And so on a couple of occasions, once I remember during a Elephant Manager’s Congress in California, where I appeared as the representative AZA, that’s the president of the board, I took on an activist… Read More
And did you have, were you tasked with responsibility at the zoo for dealing with the media and major issues as they came up?… Read More
Or was that something that went to the director?… Read More