Texas Zoo director resigns
Print- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
16 Comments
- •
Favorite- •
-
Report error
-
Thank you for your submission.Error report or correction
- Close
-
- •
Help wanted
For more information, contact Doug Giles, the zoo board's president, at 361-573-7681.
Will the city fund the zoo next year?
It's too soon to tell, Mayor Will Armstrong said.
The city has funded the zoo probably since ...
- SHOW ALL »
Help wanted
For more information, contact Doug Giles, the zoo board's president, at 361-573-7681.
Will the city fund the zoo next year?
It's too soon to tell, Mayor Will Armstrong said.
The city has funded the zoo probably since it first opened and will give it consideration again this year, Armstrong said. This year, the city provided $160,000 to the zoo.
Next year's budget isn't presented until Tuesday and city council members have not reviewed it yet.
"It's a little premature to know," Armstrong said. "All I can say is, stay tuned."
A search is again under way for an executive director at The Texas Zoo.
Michael King resigned Friday after six months on the job. The West Virginia native lived in Victoria for about a year and was the zoo's third director in five years.
The decision to leave wasn't easy, King said.
"It was a fluke. I received an offer from a prior colleague that ... was almost too good to be true," he said.
King will move to Manhattan, Kan., where he will work as director for the Alorica call center, he said. The pay is more than triple what he earns at the zoo.
Before working at the zoo, King was a site director at the local StarTek office.
Zoo board members always approach hiring new directors hoping replacements will remain long-term, said Doug Giles, the board's president. The challenge in Victoria's market is keeping someone here, he said.
"Victoria, or a zoo this size, is kind of a stepping-stone to bigger zoos and higher positions," he said. "It has definitely been a challenge."
King's announcement was sudden, but the zoo's board of directors is searching for a new director, Giles said.
Board members prefer candidates with management experience, and good public relations and people skills, Giles said. A knowledge and background in animals is a plus, but not mandatory.
In the meantime, Giles will serve as interim director, as he has in the past.
The new executive director will handle day-to-day operations, financial responsibilities and animal care, he said.
"You're basically running a business," Giles said.
Giles declined to say how much the zoo director earns per year, but said the salary is based on experience.
King said he would have liked to finish several tasks at the zoo.
He will miss the "Sweat Equity Challenge," a partnership between the zoo and Habitat for Humanity, he said, as well as the Aug. 21 Texas Tunes fundraiser.
"It's a different type of fundraiser we'd never done before," he said, adding he hopes the community rallies around the zoo.
The zoo recently lost accreditation in part because of high employee turnover rates within key positions, such as executive director. The zoo can reapply for accreditation next year, although King's departure might taint its chances.
"I have complete and total confidence in the board and in the staff," King said. "It's going to be the best zoo that Texas has seen in a long time. All they need is just some backing."
King leaves on good terms and will miss Victoria, he said.
"It's going to be a tearful parting. I've fallen in love with the animals, and I've fallen in love with the staff," King said. "It was a pleasure and honor to work for The Texas Zoo."
-
Print
- •
-
Share
- Share this item
-
Grab the link
Copy and paste the link:
- Blog about it
- Close
- •
-
16 Comments
- •
- Favorite
- •
-
Report error
-
Thank you for your submission.Error report or correction
- Close
-
- •
Comments
"Or maybe we have a case of people wanting to appear to be in the know and subsequently getting busted on it."
I am not sure if this applies to me. I don't claim to know everything, but I can vouch for the things I know and seen. I have experienced some unethical practices that have taken place there. which i havent mentioned yet. As the Zoo as a whole - I love animals and the conservation efforts put forth by the institutions, which is why I share my testimony to the public of what goes on behind the scenes. Thanks.
August 13, 2009 at 8:19 p.m.I had some intearctions with the zoo staff (keepers and management) a couple months ago. Trust me, there is nothing professional about it!!!!!
August 13, 2009 at 6:25 a.m.WOW. I am appalled that a supporter of the Zoo (employee, director, or otherwise) would sink to such a low level of disgrace. You guys have a major fundraiser coming up. Why, why, why would you represent the Zoo in this manner now, or ever? I planned on buying 4 tickets. That is $200 to just walk in the gate! I am seriously reconsidering.
August 12, 2009 at 9:55 p.m.I did not say anything bad about the Zoo. I was speaking about you and you only. What are you 10? If you read the comment correctly, I was telling Gackt09 that you were probably full of it and really did not work for the zoo. If you do work for the zoo, wow what a horrible way to represent your beloved organization. If you love the zoo so much then be mature and speak in an honorable way. Otherwise people are going to come to the conclusion that if the employees act this way, what's the point in caring about the zoo.
August 12, 2009 at 6:34 p.m.Gackt09- I doubt charmedairx3 has any affiliation with the zoo. If he/she does, it is sad to see the kind of people they hire. Maybe the board should take a look at his/her comments and attitude and have a "sit down" and decide if more bad publicity is what they need. Charmed if you do work there you need to respect your employer and back off.
August 12, 2009 at 1:53 p.m.charmedxair - It's sad that you are the operations manager of the TXZoo and you have to resort to child-like remarks and faked assumptions to make yourself look better.Once again you go about distorting words, either intentionally or with poor reading comprehension. You don't know me well enough to tell me what I know or not know whats going on. When I say something about the Zoo its not in a way of resentment--its when I see the news articles that arent too promising. So I put my share of information down. If you dont like it, too bad, keep making crap up if it make you feel good.
I have been currently employed at Houston Zoo, which is where I experience a similar situation; as far as that I'm not at liberty to discuss anything else. However I have been involved with the board and the TxZoo years ago. As far as any other poster, I have no idea who anyone else is here. this is my last post, so I wont bother responding to you because it is pointless as you haven't said anything close to being relevant.
August 12, 2009 at 1:30 p.m.GACKT09 - So, your telling me that your not an ex-employee of the zoo? That's funny because you state on your home page that you were a staff keeper at the zoo??? Face it, you can't come back with a denial when it's a bold face lie! "I comment on the truth to help people understand" HA! The fact that you colaberate with "concerned" another individual that could not cut it at the zoo because they were inadequate, your word, not mine, tells me that you don't have the zoo's best interest at heart but rather you want to run your mouth about something you have no idea about just because its the flavor of the day... You don't work for the zoo anymore so you don't deserve to cast judgement. You don't know what Mr. King or the Board have done to help this zoo and therefore you need to keep your un-supported opinions to yourself!
August 12, 2009 at 11:20 a.m."Secondly, just because you are disgruntled ex-employee, who was fired because of your inadequate management of your department, does not give you the right to cast judgement on this zoo or those affliated with it. You chose your path when you failed, enough said..."
Not sure where you are getting your information from, but this is definitely not the case.I have a feeling you may be a current employee or board member yourself which explains why you are trying to make up things in order to prove your position. As a matter of fact I can say that nearly all levels of management the Zoo had within the past 4 years has been inadequate. However, they have made progress. The high turnover rate for the directors position is but one example of this. About the donated land for the Zoo - I believe it was the paper who quoted Mr. King when talking about that decision to sell...regardless, they work with the board in conjunction so that is a moot point.
It's also funny when a person says get a life when they hear something they don't want to. I don't read all the topics of discussion here but I am pretty sure the Advocate gets tons of debates on there topics - some are even set up that way. There are at least two sides to every argument, atleast. Fact is you don't have any intention to put forth a reasonable argument or debate, or even a relevant quote from the news of the Zoo; the only thing you've done is make up a false accusation about me then claim some moot point on the land ordeal I stated above. You probably wish people couldn't form opinions in opposition to your own in your little world, but what I say informs the public on what is really going on, best to my knowledge. I dont have all negative things to say about the Zoo, I already stated somewhere before that I hope to get there act together and the lives of the animals are the most important.
August 11, 2009 at 6:26 p.m.gackt09 - I agree with what you said, except that the "fluke" mentioned by Mr. King is his getting a new job offer, not being hired by The Victoria Zoo.
August 10, 2009 at 9:48 a.m."The West Virginia native lived in Victoria for about a year and was the zoo's third director in five years."
I'd just like to point out that this piece of printed information is false and this will be the Texas Zoo's fifth director in three years.
- Mrs. Green (lady who's names escapes me)
-Eddie Overbay
-Doug Giles
-Doug Hotle
-Michael King
all in a span of three years.
Editors and journalists please give out information accurately as you are told and reported, even if the topic of interest doesn't seem important to you.
And oh yeah, I called this exact instance happening ever since Mr. King took office, you can read my previous posts on the Zoo. When everyone was saying that King was doing a good job and thinking about helping the Zoo without prior knowledge or actual know-how, I was saying how bad a decision it was for him to sell the land to pay back the IRS and financial debt... but then he does this and resigns his position and admits his hiring was a fluke, lol what a priceless class act!
August 9, 2009 at 12:17 a.m.Apply for the director position now.
August 7, 2009 at 8:09 p.m.Could be why i applied for a job as a manager there and had no reply........darn it.
August 7, 2009 at 7:42 p.m.It is a sad commentary that young talent does not see Victoria as a keeper. If the backwards 1950's mind set does not entice them nor the utter lack of amusements why can't the pathically low wages and perpetual fear of baseless indictment not clinch the deal ???
August 7, 2009 at 7:39 p.m.