Tom Schmid on Jaws, weedy sea dragons and the Columbus Zoo remerging after scandal| Podcast
It is an understatement to say the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium had a trying time before Tom Schmid took the helm.
Tom Stalf, the zoo's former president and CEO; and Greg Bell, its former chief financial officer, resigned after a 2021 Columbus Dispatch investigation uncovered extensive personal use of zoo resources.
The Columbus Zoo lost its Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation due to leadership issues and a scandal involving how it transferred animals for entertainment purposes.
Tom Schmid After 18 exhausting months, Columbus Zoo striving to be among best in US for wildlife
Schmid, then the longtime leader of the Texas State Aquarium, knew about some of the hard issues facing the zoo when a recruiter contacted him about applying to be its CEO.
He did not balk at the opportunity and jumped on it after having a chat with his wife.
"I said 'Kim, this is the best zoo job in the country.' This is an amazing organization that has so much capacity to do good for wildlife conservation," Tom Schmid told "Then What Happened" podcast host Amelia Robinson. "I have to apply for this job."
On the latest episode of the podcast, Schmid and Robinson chat about his favorite Columbus Zoo critters - one very big and the other very, very small -, why there will be no "new Jack Hanna," Rwandan gorillas, how reindeer from the Wolfes helped started the zoo and empowering people and saving wildlife.
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“Then What Had Happened" is powered by The Columbus Dispatch's Conversation section.
Amelia Robinson brings you true stories from the intriguing and inspiring people who bring life to CBUS. The Twice monthly show takes you to the heart of Columbus.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Then What Happened Podcast featuring Tom Schmid of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium