For immediate release
Contact: Gina Stiles, 904-757-4463, ext. 210

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Names
 Tony Vecchio as New Executive Director

Thursday, May 7, 2009 – Jacksonville, Florida – Tony Vecchio, currently zoo director of Oregon Zoo in Portland, Oregon, has been named executive director of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens effective July 2009.  As executive director, Vecchio will oversee the 120 acre Zoo and Gardens and will report directly to the Board of Directors of the Zoo.

Vecchio will be responsible for the entire operations of the Zoo, which welcomes more than 700,000 guests each year; its education program that serves more than 100,000 children annually; the animal program and its research and conservation efforts that recently resulted in the birth of a genetically-valuable jaguar; and the fundraising and management of the expansion plans for the Zoo. Planning that began for Monsoon Asia in 2006, will continue under Vecchio’s leadership.  It will include the construction of more Asian animal exhibits and a plaza twice the size of the Range of the Jaguar with a restaurant, gift shop and restrooms.  The exhibits and plaza will open in phases over the next 10 to 15 years, depending on the availability of funds.

“Tony Vecchio brings a wealth of relevant experience to a very complex job, said Ann Baker, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  “He recognizes the excellent qualities of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and its staff and will undertake to lead them as a cohesive team dedicated to animal care, conservation, education and the visiting public.  I am very pleased that the outcome of this comprehensive, nationwide search has resulted in the hiring of such a well-rounded professional. We are looking forward to welcoming Tony, his wife and two children to our community.”

Vecchio’s zoo career spans a 32 year period.  It began at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina, where he worked from 1979 through 1985.  Between 1986 and 1988, he worked as curator of mammals at Zoo Atlanta.  In 1988, he was hired as general curator of Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island, where in 1989 he was promoted to and worked as zoo director until February 1998.  In March 1998, he was named zoo director at the Oregon Zoo.

Under Vecchio’s leadership, the Oregon Zoo achieved record attendance in nine of the past 11 years he has been there.  It has become the most visited admission-based attraction in the Northwest with nearly 1.6 million visitors.  Last fall, a successful bond campaign secured $125 million to help improve animal health and safety at the zoo.

Vecchio has a Master of Science, Biology, from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science, Environmental Resource Management/Wildlife Conservation from Penn State University.  His honors and awards include the Vanguard Award, Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association in 1995; Outstanding Citizen Award, Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island 1994; and the Outstanding Service Award, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), 1991.  He previously served on the Board of Directors, Board of Regents, Animal Welfare Special Committee, Pig and Peccary Advisory Group, and Science and Technology Committee of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is considered a leader in the organization.  He has also been a member of the American Association of Zookeepers; Animal Behavior Society; American Society of Primatologists; International Bear Biology Association; Society for Conservation Biology; American Society of Mammalogists and the American Federation of Herpetoculturists. 

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” said Tony Vecchio.  “Jacksonville is a great community, and the staff and Society board all seem to be dedicated and passionate about the Zoo.  Dennis Pate did a great job of helping the staff to put the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens on the map.  I’ll consider it a fun challenge to continue that forward momentum to make the Zoo even greater.”

Established in 1914, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens currently employs a total of 257 part-time and full-time people and has more than 1,400 rare and exotic animals and 1,000 plants.  Its mission is to foster understanding of the interaction of people, wildlife and their environment by creating engaging experiences guests; providing fun and innovative educational opportunities; funding operations, expansion and programs through an entrepreneurial spirit with public and private partnerships; and instilling passion in the next generation as responsible stewards of the future. The Jacksonville Zoo is a non-profit organization and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).  It is open year-round, seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located on Jacksonville’s north side at 370 Zoo Parkway, one-half mile east from I-95.  For more information on the Zoo, log on to www.jacksonvillezoo.org.

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