After 18 exhausting months, Columbus Zoo striving to be among best in US for wildlife| CEO

Tom Schmid is president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

A new chapter for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium began on March 27 when the accreditation commission of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums voted to fully accredit the zoo.

This action marked the culmination of 18 months of diligent work by our staff and board of directors to improve our animal outreach programming, strengthen our financial policies and procedures, and advance our board governance.

More: Columbus Zoo regains accreditation nearly 18 months after it was revoked by AZA

It has also been 18 months since I accepted the position as president and CEO of this remarkable institution. I can share today that these last 18 months have been exhausting for me and our teams; however, they have also been extraordinarily rewarding. One of the aspects of my position that I find most fulfilling is getting know and establishing relationships with our many stakeholders.

From our dedicated staff, volunteers and docents to countless community and business leaders and our partners in local government,

I have come to appreciate how treasured this institution is. Without exception, every single person I have met over the last 18 months wants this institution to excel, and excel we have.

We welcomed 2.5 million guests to our parks and properties in 2022, a remarkably strong year. And that includes over 7,000 people who received complimentary admission through one of several community access programs. We saw a surge in sales of our deeply discounted Family Access memberships, and our partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library continues to provide access to hundreds of underserved families.

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We raised over $7 million to support our conservation work, educational programming, and new and improved animal habitats. We also created, for the first time, a 60-day cash reserve fund.  This fund, in addition to our growing endowment, puts this institution in a very strong financial position.

With a goal of being one of the most effectively governed not-for-profit institutions in Ohio, a new board governance model has been adopted, combining our elected and appointed board into a smaller, more engaged and cohesive governing body.

We advanced our inclusionary diversity initiatives, increasing our spending with minority-owned businesses up to 17 percent. With the launch of our RISE scholarship program, we are breaking down traditional barriers and providing opportunities for all students to explore and pursue Zoo careers.

We’ve added 27 new full-time positions, and our headcount at the Zoo and The Wilds now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. Several of these positions are directly related to objectives outlined in our new strategic plan. Our new strategy will advance animal wellbeing and research programming, and along with a much stronger, more comprehensive focus on our long-term sustainability, we are positioning the Columbus Zoo well for the next 100 years.

Finally, we have launched the most ambitious master planning program in our nearly 100-year history – our new 2040 Framework. It will guide growth and development for the next 15-20 years at the Columbus Zoo; our 10,000-acre conservation and research center, The Wilds; Safari Golf Club; and Zoombezi Bay waterpark.

I’d like to thank so many of you: our patrons, members, and every guest who visits any of our facilities.

By paying for admission, buying a membership or even just a snack, you are wildlife conservation advocates. You are helping us achieve our vision, moving us beyond simply being a great Zoo to becoming one of the most impactful wildlife conservation institutions in the nation.

Tom Schmid president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New chapter at Columbus Zoo: Be one of nation's best for wildlife: CEO