The executive director of the Little Rock Zoo will step down in mid-October after nearly 20 years in the position, the zoo said Tuesday.
Mike Blakely has been at the helm of the state's only accredited zoo since September 1999, according to a news release.
His career in zoos began more than three decades earlier when he took a summer job at the Portland Zoo in 1967, he said. Blakely also worked for the Oklahoma City Zoo, the Kansas City Zoo in Missouri and for Wildlife Safari in Oregon, where he held his first director position before taking the job at Little Rock's 33-acre facility.
City Manager Bruce Moore praised Blakely for his emphasis on education and conservation.
"While we are sad to see him go, we are thankful for his many years of dedication to the city and, most importantly, to the zoo family,” Moore said in the release.
Blakely said he and his wife, Nancy, plan to travel now that they have an empty nest at home. His last day will be Oct. 14, according to the release.
Moore said in the release that he will outline a replacement plan for Blakely in October.
Read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.