So, I was always very cautious around the media. You’re looking at I’m a victim of 60 Minutes. So, I watched them operate and you wanna see some real pros operate and distort and take things outta context, they’re great at it. And I was a firsthand witness to it… Read More
I did not like the media. I didn’t feel the media, you couldn’t trust them. They were out for what they wanted. It always used to bug me when they tried to tempt you and try to goad you into saying something. I can remember a staff member making a… Read More
It was just stuff that they hadn’t been exposed to another way of doing it. So, they were still caught in this twilight zone of non-evolution. As the director of the Oklahoma City Zoo, you had to deal with the media. Obviously there were high points and low points as… Read More
How did you view the media?… Read More
Okay. I gotta think about that a little bit when after I’ve said it. Particularly at Kansas City. Now, I started my career at the Kansas City Zoo and I basically ended my career at the Kansas City Zoo in this part-time consulting capacity. A lot of the practices that… Read More
Yeah, yes I did see common mistakes. I would also see mistakes that would keep repeating themselves. Read More
Example?… Read More
Did you see common mistakes that in your new position so to speak, did you see common mistakes that people were making?… Read More
They got a director who was there maybe three years, I guess and then they have another director since. It was just an interesting adventure but it was something that when you stand outside and you look in and some of the decisions that are made, you want to say… Read More
It was nice to pass on what skills you had to pass on but it I found that ownership wasn’t part of that. Read More
But when it came to Fresno, Fresno was looking for a director. I certainly had no interest in being the director of that zoo. So, I wasn’t even interested in it. I was just holding the fort but realized that the community was a highly charged political community. It was… Read More
What did you learn about consulting?… Read More
It’s an interesting situation to be in when you know what needs to be done. Not because you’re a genius but because this is what’s always worked and not having the ability to make sure that it’s done because all you’re doing is saying, “Here’s what you need to do.”… Read More
And so I think, well okay, my job is about done here but I was helping them with getting accredited, preparing accreditation materials because that was one of the things that they had really struggled with and had really gotten in some quagmire over. And about the same time I… Read More
That’s interesting because I thought okay, now I’m gonna spend more time in retirement and doing some things. And somebody said to me, well I had a neighbor. I had a neighbor who was in charge of all the Six Flags parks in the world. He’s my neighbor. And he… Read More
Well, during that time, that was in 2001. And during that and then my mom passed away in 2002 if I recall. And so, that was behind me. And so, I had somebody contact me about doing some consulting work at two or three different zoos and I did that. Read More
Did you have a game plan in mind?… Read More
I just think it’s a great benefit. That’s a nice perk of the industry. Read More
Now, you leave the Oklahoma City Zoo as director and now what are you thinking about as the next phase of your career slash life?… Read More
If you were trying to get people to support your programs and your conservation programs and your education programs and stuff and you take ’em to Africa or you take ’em to South America or you take ’em to the Galapagos, you don’t have to say much because the location… Read More