Well, you can clean up too for that matter, ’cause I’ve done that too. But you’ve gotta be ready to take a lot of guff to reap the rewards. And that’s, and it is. You’re really at the behest of all kinds of people, all kinds of people, and people… Read More
You feel it’s important for directors to be involved with the national organization?… Read More
Sure, I do. Because you want, you know, I think you have to give your, I mean, there’s an organization of organizations and you’ve gotta be there to give your ideas to help. Yeah, I think it is important. Read More
If somebody said to you, “So what’s it like being a zoo director?” kinda, how would you answer?… Read More
And then the secondary question would be, after X number of years on the job, did the initial glamor wear off or was it always there?… Read More
AZA? I was never involved in the- On the American Zoo- AAZPA you mean, AAZPA?… Read More
Well I was involved in the sense that I was on their executive board at one time. Read More
Well, obviously I felt very strongly that we had to be independent of the Parks Association. I mean, we had nothing really, well we had, I can’t say nothing in common, we of course did. But very little in common with them. And I think that those guys who, one… Read More
And I remember it very distinctly. Read More
How involved were you in the new AZA?… Read More
Now you were part of The Zoo Association, or the zoos when they were part of the parks department?… Read More
Yes, I was. Read More
And what was your impression of the AAZPA when it was part of the Parks Association, and as it evolved to break away?… Read More
What was your relationship with your senior staff?… Read More
Were you trying to, did you encourage training and professional development?… Read More
Oh yeah, yes of course. I would say that some of them, where some of them truthfully were traitors to me, They couldn’t make the break between keeper and staff. It was very difficult for them. So when the keepers could impress, impose on them to side with them, even… Read More
Well, most of the things that we did basically were done by other zoos. It was sort of standard procedure. This zoo just wasn’t, there was nothing standard about this zoo. So they didn’t do things like that, but it was just stuff that other, you know, other zoos did… Read More
But not, you know, not until the end. Read More
Do you feel that in a zoo it’s better to have an animal person as the head of the organization or a business person?… Read More
You know, I switch back and forth on that, I really do. Sometimes I think, well it’s better the animal person needs to be in charge, but I don’t know, maybe not. I’m not positive about it. In years gone by, I certainly would’ve said the animal person should be… Read More