Little Rock Zoo's chief to retire in October

Reaccreditation, support boost marked Blakely’s 17 years

Mike Blakely, director of the Little Rock Zoo, in a 2012 file photo.
Mike Blakely, director of the Little Rock Zoo, in a 2012 file photo.

Mike Blakely is leaving the Little Rock Zoo in better shape than when he was hired 17 years ago, city officials said after Blakely announced his retirement Tuesday as the zoo's executive director.

Blakely, who began his position in September 1999, led the zoo's efforts to regain a prestigious, national accreditation, and energized support for the zoo from City Hall, the community and donors.

Blakely's last day on the job will be Oct. 14, he said. After the city advertises the position nationally, the zoo board of governors will select and interview finalists, then recommend three candidates to City Manager Bruce Moore.

Blakely, 66, said in an interview Tuesday that he and his wife, Nancy, plan to return to the northwest part of the country "someday." Little Rock hired Blakely from the Wildlife Safari park in southern Oregon, where he had been executive director for four years.

Blakely took the Little Rock position when the zoo had been without a director for over a year and had been stripped of its accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (now the Association of Zoos and Aquariums), a status considered a badge of honor for zoos. That loss followed the temporary suspension of the zoo's federal license to exhibit animals and its failure in two of three inspections in efforts to regain the license.

"He not only got us back to being accredited, but has maintained our accreditation and expanded exhibits in the zoo, expanded the zoo staff and he's worked great with the community," City Director Brad Cazort, also the city Board of Directors' longtime liaison to the zoo board of governors, said in an interview. "The zoo has grown leaps and bounds under his leadership, and he'll be missed."

Blakely "helped build the zoo into the world-class, accredited institution it is today," Moore said in a statement released by the zoo.

"His emphasis on education and conservation has set the standard and brought us exciting exhibits such as the Arkansas Heritage Farm," Moore said. "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."

Blakely mentioned the Arkansas Heritage Farm, the Laura P. Nichols Penguin Pointe exhibit, the Cheetah Outpost and Diamond Express train as "significant additions" during his time at the 33-acre zoo, the state's only accredited zoo.

"The city got behind the zoo, and we've certainly gotten the support to make improvements like the penguins and the farm and a lot of other stuff," Blakely said. "I think [having accreditation] can be used in a lot of ways, both in getting support from the community and also finding sources of fundraising and for improvements to be made in the zoo."

Zoos are no longer a lineup of caged animals but are a way to teach the public about different wildlife species and conservation efforts, Blakely said.

"Zoos have sort of been transitioning from entertainment to education, conservation and animal welfare, which can be quite a dramatic change in philosophy," he said. "I know that a tremendous effort has been and will continue to be made on the protection of animals."

At the time Blakely was hired, the city Board of Directors had made other changes to benefit the zoo, including separating the zoo from the city's Parks and Recreation Department to put more emphasis on the zoo's management and finances.

"There were a lot of things that changed, all for the better," Cazort recalled. "Part of which was the city board putting the zoo under a new governing structure to make it a stand-alone department, and then we brought on Mike. He's done wonders there."

Metro on 09/21/2016

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