October 1, 2025 • 23 mins
The Pittsburgh Zoo is one of only six major zoo and aquarium combinations in the United States and is home to more than 8,000 animals representing over 600 species. The organization’s research and conservation projects are recognized globally and represented on all seven continents and five oceans. As a regional attraction with a global impact, the Zoo is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, earning the Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating. The Zoo is American Humane Conservation-certified and accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
And welcome in. This is the CEOs You Should Know podcast.
I'm your host, Johnny Hartwell, let's say hello to doctor
Jeremy Goodman, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.
Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Oh, it's my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So tell us everything we need to know what's going
on at the zoo right now.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Sure, fall is an incredibly busy season for us at
the Zoo. October is actually our busiest month, and this
month we have our Jack Lantern Extravaganza going on, over
five thousand hand carved pumpkins throughout the entire zoo, set
to music, beautiful scenic theming, something you don't want to miss.
(00:38):
You've never seen anything like that. And then one thing
that people will see when they come into the zoo
the first thing after they park is that our whole
front entrance is torn up right now. So we're building
a brand new, beautiful welcoming front entrance for all of
our guests to enjoy, and that will be done by
the end of this year. But in the meantime, we
(00:59):
have some temporary ticket booths that people will experience, so
just be ready for that. And if you can buy
your tickets online ahead of time even better. And then
we are just about to start construction on our new
giraffe building, which is really really exciting to give them
a lot more space for our visitors to be able
to see them throughout the winter. Just it will really
(01:20):
improve all the welfare that we offer to our animals
and we're very very excited about that. So just a
few things going on here at the zoo.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
But there's always something going on at the zoo, absolutely,
because right after jack Lane, since we followed up with
Wild Illuminations, our holiday festival starts right around Thanksgiving time,
and always something there is. There is no offsea. There
is a lot of people who think that this is
just a summer kind of activity because you know that's
kind of a tradition, you know, kids are out of
(01:47):
school and things like that. But you know, it's a
year round kind of thing, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Absolutely. You know, like I said, we have our fall
festivals and the winter we have our penguins on parade events.
You know, we that are very very popular. Animals are
out year round. So every season's the good seasons come
to the zoo.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
In my mind, the Pittsburgh Zoo and aquarium is one
of the most treasured assets this city has. Do you
think Pittsburgh's fully appreciate what the zoo really what the
Pittsburgh Zoo offers the community.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I think they're starting to appreciate a little bit more,
you know, when I've been here about four years now,
and one of the things that I noticed from day
one is that everyone around here loves their zoo, or
I should say loves the zoo, and there's an important
difference there. One of the things that I think that
we're missing right now is I want people to more
(02:40):
than love the zoo. I want people to view it
as theirs, that they have a stake in it, that
they have ownership in it, that this is their zoo
that they're incredibly proud of. Like I said, people love
the zoo. We get close to a million visitors every year,
very very popular. But I want to take it to
(03:01):
the next level where people really feel like they have
a stake that were ingrained in the communities that were
there for them, and not just an attraction to come
with the kids once in a while, but a true
conservation organization that is out in the community. Is partnering
with various other not for profits and really just doing
(03:23):
good things, not only locally but around the world. So
that's the image that I really want people to fully
understand about our zoo.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Now, you took over in twenty twenty one, which was
right after COVID, which wasn't the ideal time to take
over such a large enterprise. But what were some of
the things that you wanted to accomplish? Have you accomplished
those goals? And what are some of the things you
would like to see done well? Obviously you have already
(03:51):
had some construction projects already in the works, but what
are some things that you would like to work on
in the future.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Sure, So one of the first things that we started
with was planning, you know, just making sure we had
a very solid strategic plan moving forward. And we follow
that up with the year after with a incredible master
plan for the physical facilities, detailing which new exhibits so
we're going to be putting in and other visitor amenities
and infrastructures. So the first couple of years we're a
(04:18):
lot of planning. Now comes the fun part of actually
building it. We've got a great staff in place and
we're continuing to grow, so I'm very excited about the
future and what that holds. Because part of our strategic
planning really was about getting out into the community more
collaborations partnerships with other organizations, and we've just started that
(04:40):
where you know, we're bringing in organizations to do workforce
training in our zoo, We're partnering with other organizations out
in the city planting gardens. You know, we're around the
world doing fieldwork in Nepal with Red pandas. So there's
so much going on and we're just at the very
tip right now, and as as we move forward throughout
(05:06):
the years, we'll just be executing and building on onto
that strategic plan and just really growing with our impact.
And that's something that I think is really really important,
is that we're just really at the tip of it,
and it's so exciting. You know, everything that we're doing
right now.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Give us some details, like what are some of the
people that are organizations that you're teaming up with.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Sure one is Life Steps. We have a workforce training
program for individuals with special needs and it's been going
on since my first year actually is when we started it,
and since then we've actually started to employ a number
of the people that we've trained there and they're working
either part time or full time now And just a
(05:51):
great example of one of the things that we're doing
working closely with our colleagues at the Aviary, you know,
on some conservation project that we're working on throughout the
state as far as planting pollinator gardens and really just
trying to make sure that the city of Pittsburgh in
this region is very biodiverse and bio friendly. So just
(06:14):
a couple of examples, but we're working with the museums,
we're working with other not for profits, other environmental organizations,
with the state on a whole variety of different projects.
We just partnered with the state for our Conservation Center,
which is a beautiful thousand acre facility out in Somerset
County to work with the state threatened alleghany wood rat,
(06:36):
which is an incredible species. It needs our help and
doesn't get all the glory that some of the other
species like the giant pandas and the elephants get, but
still very important nonetheless, and you know, we kind of
like the non glamorous animals as well, they're just as important.
So partnered with the state and we're building a whole
(06:57):
complex for them out at our conservation center. That will
be a pre release site where they can get used
to being kind of quasi in the wild before.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
What is a wood rat? What is it?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So it's very different from your your typical city rat
that people are kind of in vision. Yeah, if if
I had to paint a picture, it almost kind of
looks like the one of the rats from Rat Tattooy
with this big cartoonish nose. And uh. They live all
along the Appalachian Trail and you know, in woody and
(07:30):
rocky outcroppings and you know, just an important species for
you know, for the environment. And uh, they are threatened
due to habitat loss and fragmentation. So something that you know,
the state asked for our help and we're more than
happy to partner with them, and uh and really try
to help make this program a success.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Interesting. What what is your background?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
So? I am a veterinarian by training and went to
Rutgers for undergrad and Toughts for veterinary school. But ever
since I was a little kid two years old, all
I ever wanted to do is run a zoo. So
I'm absolutely living my money was to run a zoo, Jeremy,
but I'm the one who did it, because.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You've got the greatest job in the world.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, I like to think so, I really do. And
you know, it is an incredible privilege to oversee, you know, this,
this institution that's been around for one hundred and twenty
seven years and has only had a handful of directors,
And you know, I really do look at it as
a privilege. And it's just such a wonderful environment that
(08:35):
if you're having a bad day, you know, something went wrong,
all you have to do is go outside and walk
around for five minutes and see all the smiling faces
and just you know, it's a total reset as far
as exactly why you're doing this and who you're doing
this for. And I just absolutely love it. And we
have such big plans for the zoo and just really
looking to building the zoo of the future.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So tell us how does Pittsburgh Zoo compare to maybe
other cities and and if there's any shortfalls, where do
you think we can make up room and make up
that shortfall. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I think our zoo for a city of our size,
really is very, very impressive. We have an incredible diverse collection.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
One of the things that we're probably a little short
on right now is birds, but we have the National
Aviary is, like I said one of our colleagues right here,
but something that we are going to increase a little bit.
Being a major zoo, we have to have a diverse collection.
But you know, I think that our zoo is considered
actually a large zoo in the grand scheme of things.
(09:38):
We're not a small, little local community zoo or county zoo.
You know. Once again, drawing close to a million visitors
on any given years is quite a feat. And you
know what I'd like to see a lot more is
as tourism increases and throughout the Pittsburgh area. And I
think Pittsburgh has so much to offer as somebody who's
(09:59):
relatively new here or I think a lot of local
people take all that we have for granted, you know,
with all the cultural attractions, the museums, the zoo, the
natural parks, just concert venues, so much that we have here.
And I'm really hoping that as tourism increases in Pittsburgh
that we won't just be a zoo for western Pennsylvania
(10:22):
and the region, but you know, we'll be a true
travel destination that that's my hope for the future.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
All Right, tell us about the team, your team.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Yeah, I've got a great senior leadership team, and uh,
you know, we they've all kind of come on board, uh,
with the exception of our director of HR who's been
at the Zoo for a long time. But I was
able to really build an incredible team over the last
four years from my chief operating officer, Chief Advancement officer,
(10:53):
director at the Conservation Center, you know, just VP of Education,
VP of Living Collections, you know, just we really have
an incredible team and they're just so talented and so passionate.
And one of the things that I feel great about
is this is the team that can pull off all
(11:14):
these big plans. And by having this team in place
and by having a supportive community, the sky is really
the limit here.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
All right. So let me ask you, you have some
grand ideas. In fact, looking at your background, you've everywhere
you've gone, you've exceeded expectations. And I think that's probably
why they brought you in, is that you have that
knack you have. You certainly have the passion. That's pretty obvious.
You can I can tell just by talking with you.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm really excited. And one
of the first things that people ask me when I
got here is, you know, what's your big plans? And
the answer really was that my big plan was to
listen a lot. The first year or two. I still listen,
but especially those first two years, getting to know the community,
getting to understand what this community needs and wants from
(12:05):
its zoo. I mean that, you know, every zoo is
very different, and every community is very different, So there
isn't just a cookie cutter recipe that what I did
in Providence or in New Jersey or in South Bend
is going to work here in Pittsburgh. Now, there's certain
things that obviously, of course, you know, translate across all zoos,
good customer service, cleanliness, things like that that I fully expect,
(12:29):
and you know that we rival you know, the Disneys
of the world where in our customer service and in
our grounds. But I would say that, you know, listening
to the people from the community and understanding what they
want and what they need from us, uh is was
(12:51):
really important. I never would have envisioned that workforce development
would be something that they would be asking of us,
and quite honestly, it makes sense right after the city
of Pittsburgh. Our zoo is the number one employer of
youth in the entire city. So we are oftentimes you know, people,
you know, young adults, first job, and the skills that
(13:12):
they learn by us, you know, can translate anywhere. We
don't expect everybody who works at the zoo to become
a zoologist, a keeper, you know, an educator, but the
lessons they learned from responsibility and good customer service and
all the things that we teach them are really really
important for their development. So a perfect example of something
(13:33):
that we were asked to do that you know, we're
kind of honing in on a little bit more. I
would say. Another great example is, you know, when we
were looking at collection planning and on what types of
exhibits to bring into the zoo, you know, we sent
out surveys and we got nine thousand surveys returned to
us from the community. Eight thousand of them mentioned that
(13:56):
they wanted their big brown bears back. Never would have
been on my list had I not asked. You know,
they're not endangered, you know, they're they're pretty common. Once again,
I would have thought to put put something more exotic
in it. Or whatnot. But that's what I mean about
getting to know the community and understanding the community and
(14:17):
what they're they're looking for. And uh, you know, I
think it's it's really really important. You know, I think.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Why, but why? But I see I that's exactly what
I would have responded with. But why? Why do you
think Pittsburgh is is?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, there's a lot of tradition here and a lot
of you know, our zoo is about memories, you know,
multi generational experiences and memories. We have grandparents coming with
their grandkids and showing them their their handprints, you know
in the aquarium or in kids Kingdom, you know, and
(14:55):
generation after generation come and they experience it together. And
we had numerous generations that experienced those big brown bears
in what's now not considered an acceptable exhibit, which is
why you know, we don't have them currently. But you know,
it's it's very visceral emotions when they think about those
(15:18):
experiences from when they were a kid and when they
saw that big brown bear standing up on its hind
legs and being so close to it, and and that's
the type of thing that while we're building our new
zoo of the future, offering those wow experiences, those face
to face you know, just experiences where you know there's
nothing separating you from a huge adult male line other
(15:39):
than a pane of glass, or you know, being able
to see the elephants up close and smell them and
just experience. You know, this is something that you can't
get watching you know, a show on TV or things. Yeah,
this is this is real life. And when we can
make those connections at our zoo, everything else is going
to fall into place. People to start caring empathy is
(16:02):
very important and hopefully start making differences in their lives.
And one of the other big things that I think
is really really important that I think our zoo is
is positioned very very well for is we are a
zoo for everybody. You know, all all races, all political parties,
all religions, everybody comes to our zoo. And I think
(16:27):
that that is incredibly powerful and the fact that we
have that power to bring people from diverse backgrounds together
in one location. And I think that's something that we're
continuing to work on to figure out how can we
continue to unify people because the world definitely needs a
(16:48):
lot more of that. And you know, we really feel
that we're positioned very very well to help move that along.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Take me back when you were a kid and you've
you first were dreaming of of animals and becoming this
would be your vocation, Ken, do you think seven year
old Jeremy would believe he's doing this right now?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Seven year old Jeremy was very confident he'd be doing
this right really, Like.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
What was your first zoo experience as a kid? Do
you remember?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
It's hard to remember the very first one because my parents.
I grew up north of Chicago, so Lincoln Park Zoo,
Brookfield Zoo, and actually Milwaukee Zoo was not that far,
so those were probably the first three zoos that that
I visited when I was six months old, one year old,
so obviously a little bit before I can remember. But
I just found last year my baby book that my
(17:42):
parents put together, and I opened it up and it
has the different things that you know, you like, you know,
your your favorite rattle, whatever it is. And right at
the two year mark, my parents noted, Love's going to
the zoo. Knows every animal by heart, and you know,
it really has been since that young and you know,
(18:04):
I've really just been super passionate about it. I think
zoos are incredibly important for their communities in what we do.
And you know, not everybody can go out to Africa
or Asia to see these incredible animals, so to be
able to experience them right here in Pittsburgh is just phenomenal.
So growing up, you know, it's funny because I think
(18:26):
I'm probably the only veterinarian in the world who never
had a dog or a cat. Parents would never let
me have a dog or a cat. But I had
everything else. I had snakes, I had turtles, I had chinchillas,
I had birds, parrots, all sorts of fish.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Well, but this way, your animal collection now beats everybody.
That's true.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
I do have a little bit larger collection now with
home clus to ten thousand animals. So uh, it has
grown since since I was a little kid.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Maybe what is the what is the one thing if
there was, if you can wave a magic one, what
is the one thing you want Pittsburghers to know or
appreciate about the zoo?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I would say that the one thing that I really
want them to fully understand is that, yes, we are
an incredible place to come for recreation and lifelong memories,
but we are so much more Yeah. Like I said,
we are doing conservation work around the world. We are
educating people all over the state and outside the state
(19:27):
as well. You know, we're just doing so much work
in the communities, and oftentimes this is stuff that people
never see. You know. One of the things, one of
my favorite event of the year is dream Night, and
nobody knows about it. Dream Night we open it up
to the special needs community and children with a variety
(19:48):
of illnesses, and we work with the local hospitals and
we invite them and their families in for a totally
care free, magical night where everything is on us, all
the foods provided, entertainment, and it's just an escape from
reality for these families for just one magical night. And
we don't publicize it ever because we respect their privacy
(20:10):
and this is about them. This isn't about promoting the
things that we do. But these are the types of
things that a lot of people don't realize and don't
fully understand on how much more the zoo does than
just a nice trip on the weekends, which is once
again incredibly important. I think quality family time is very
(20:32):
very important, and the zoo is one of the few
places left that you can actually get good quality family
time and really experience it together because we are a
zoo for all ages as well. It's one of my
pet peeves is that people tell me that I haven't
been to the zoo since my kids grew up, and
I keep telling them, you don't need kids to come.
(20:52):
We don't check at the door, and oftentimes it's a
more enjoyable experience when you can just take it on
your own pace and not have to run after a
lot of kids and whatnot. So, you know, I think that,
you know, the one thing that really want people to
understand it this is their zoo and we are much
more than what people kind of understand us to be.
(21:15):
And that's something that as we continue to rebrand ourselves
and and quite honestly, we haven't really done a great
job about bragging about the conservation work we do. I
mean things like the Allegheny wood rat or you know,
bringing bison for reintroduction on native tribal lands. I mean,
you know, these are things that we're really really proud
(21:37):
of and we definitely want people to know about those.
But you know, we're we're an incredible institution and there's
something here for everybody.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I consider the zoo one of the prized assets to
the community. So thank you for keeping that tradition and
thank you for coming in and talking and talking with us.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
My pleasure. One of the things that I think people
don't realize that it's very important to us, is how
much of an economic engine the zoo is for the
community as well. And that's something that with all the
visitors that we bring in from out of state, from Ohio,
from West Virginia, from Maryland, and they're staying at our hotels,
they're reading at our restaurants, and it's something that I
(22:16):
think really it shouldn't be understated, is the economic impact
that our zoo has on the region. And as we
continue to grow and improve that impact, it only helps
everybody else. And that's something also that once again, we're
not in it just for us, but we're very in
it for the entire region and entire community because we
(22:36):
really want Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh in particular to be
very successful, and you know, our zoo is going to
be a very important part of that.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Doctor Jeremy Goodman, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo
and Aquarium, and certainly a CEO, you should know Jeremy,
Thank you so much, Thank you. This has been the
CEOs you should know podcast, showcasing businesses that are driving
our regional economy. Part of iHeartMedia meant to the communities
we serve. I'm Johnny Heartwell, thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
H
And welcome in. This is the CEOs You Should Know podcast.
I'm your host, Johnny Hartwell, let's say hello to doctor
Jeremy Goodman, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.
Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Oh, it's my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
So tell us everything we need to know what's going
on at the zoo right now.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Sure, fall is an incredibly busy season for us at
the Zoo. October is actually our busiest month, and this
month we have our Jack Lantern Extravaganza going on, over
five thousand hand carved pumpkins throughout the entire zoo, set
to music, beautiful scenic theming, something you don't want to miss.
(00:38):
You've never seen anything like that. And then one thing
that people will see when they come into the zoo
the first thing after they park is that our whole
front entrance is torn up right now. So we're building
a brand new, beautiful welcoming front entrance for all of
our guests to enjoy, and that will be done by
the end of this year. But in the meantime, we
(00:59):
have some temporary ticket booths that people will experience, so
just be ready for that. And if you can buy
your tickets online ahead of time even better. And then
we are just about to start construction on our new
giraffe building, which is really really exciting to give them
a lot more space for our visitors to be able
to see them throughout the winter. Just it will really
(01:20):
improve all the welfare that we offer to our animals
and we're very very excited about that. So just a
few things going on here at the zoo.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
But there's always something going on at the zoo, absolutely,
because right after jack Lane, since we followed up with
Wild Illuminations, our holiday festival starts right around Thanksgiving time,
and always something there is. There is no offsea. There
is a lot of people who think that this is
just a summer kind of activity because you know that's
kind of a tradition, you know, kids are out of
(01:47):
school and things like that. But you know, it's a
year round kind of thing, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Absolutely. You know, like I said, we have our fall
festivals and the winter we have our penguins on parade events.
You know, we that are very very popular. Animals are
out year round. So every season's the good seasons come
to the zoo.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
In my mind, the Pittsburgh Zoo and aquarium is one
of the most treasured assets this city has. Do you
think Pittsburgh's fully appreciate what the zoo really what the
Pittsburgh Zoo offers the community.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
I think they're starting to appreciate a little bit more,
you know, when I've been here about four years now,
and one of the things that I noticed from day
one is that everyone around here loves their zoo, or
I should say loves the zoo, and there's an important
difference there. One of the things that I think that
we're missing right now is I want people to more
(02:40):
than love the zoo. I want people to view it
as theirs, that they have a stake in it, that
they have ownership in it, that this is their zoo
that they're incredibly proud of. Like I said, people love
the zoo. We get close to a million visitors every year,
very very popular. But I want to take it to
(03:01):
the next level where people really feel like they have
a stake that were ingrained in the communities that were
there for them, and not just an attraction to come
with the kids once in a while, but a true
conservation organization that is out in the community. Is partnering
with various other not for profits and really just doing
(03:23):
good things, not only locally but around the world. So
that's the image that I really want people to fully
understand about our zoo.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Now, you took over in twenty twenty one, which was
right after COVID, which wasn't the ideal time to take
over such a large enterprise. But what were some of
the things that you wanted to accomplish? Have you accomplished
those goals? And what are some of the things you
would like to see done well? Obviously you have already
(03:51):
had some construction projects already in the works, but what
are some things that you would like to work on
in the future.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Sure, So one of the first things that we started
with was planning, you know, just making sure we had
a very solid strategic plan moving forward. And we follow
that up with the year after with a incredible master
plan for the physical facilities, detailing which new exhibits so
we're going to be putting in and other visitor amenities
and infrastructures. So the first couple of years we're a
(04:18):
lot of planning. Now comes the fun part of actually
building it. We've got a great staff in place and
we're continuing to grow, so I'm very excited about the
future and what that holds. Because part of our strategic
planning really was about getting out into the community more
collaborations partnerships with other organizations, and we've just started that
(04:40):
where you know, we're bringing in organizations to do workforce
training in our zoo, We're partnering with other organizations out
in the city planting gardens. You know, we're around the
world doing fieldwork in Nepal with Red pandas. So there's
so much going on and we're just at the very
tip right now, and as as we move forward throughout
(05:06):
the years, we'll just be executing and building on onto
that strategic plan and just really growing with our impact.
And that's something that I think is really really important,
is that we're just really at the tip of it,
and it's so exciting. You know, everything that we're doing
right now.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Give us some details, like what are some of the
people that are organizations that you're teaming up with.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Sure one is Life Steps. We have a workforce training
program for individuals with special needs and it's been going
on since my first year actually is when we started it,
and since then we've actually started to employ a number
of the people that we've trained there and they're working
either part time or full time now And just a
(05:51):
great example of one of the things that we're doing
working closely with our colleagues at the Aviary, you know,
on some conservation project that we're working on throughout the
state as far as planting pollinator gardens and really just
trying to make sure that the city of Pittsburgh in
this region is very biodiverse and bio friendly. So just
(06:14):
a couple of examples, but we're working with the museums,
we're working with other not for profits, other environmental organizations,
with the state on a whole variety of different projects.
We just partnered with the state for our Conservation Center,
which is a beautiful thousand acre facility out in Somerset
County to work with the state threatened alleghany wood rat,
(06:36):
which is an incredible species. It needs our help and
doesn't get all the glory that some of the other
species like the giant pandas and the elephants get, but
still very important nonetheless, and you know, we kind of
like the non glamorous animals as well, they're just as important.
So partnered with the state and we're building a whole
(06:57):
complex for them out at our conservation center. That will
be a pre release site where they can get used
to being kind of quasi in the wild before.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
What is a wood rat? What is it?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So it's very different from your your typical city rat
that people are kind of in vision. Yeah, if if
I had to paint a picture, it almost kind of
looks like the one of the rats from Rat Tattooy
with this big cartoonish nose. And uh. They live all
along the Appalachian Trail and you know, in woody and
(07:30):
rocky outcroppings and you know, just an important species for
you know, for the environment. And uh, they are threatened
due to habitat loss and fragmentation. So something that you know,
the state asked for our help and we're more than
happy to partner with them, and uh and really try
to help make this program a success.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
Interesting. What what is your background?
Speaker 2 (07:52):
So? I am a veterinarian by training and went to
Rutgers for undergrad and Toughts for veterinary school. But ever
since I was a little kid two years old, all
I ever wanted to do is run a zoo. So
I'm absolutely living my money was to run a zoo, Jeremy,
but I'm the one who did it, because.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
You've got the greatest job in the world.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Yeah, I like to think so, I really do. And
you know, it is an incredible privilege to oversee, you know, this,
this institution that's been around for one hundred and twenty
seven years and has only had a handful of directors,
And you know, I really do look at it as
a privilege. And it's just such a wonderful environment that
(08:35):
if you're having a bad day, you know, something went wrong,
all you have to do is go outside and walk
around for five minutes and see all the smiling faces
and just you know, it's a total reset as far
as exactly why you're doing this and who you're doing
this for. And I just absolutely love it. And we
have such big plans for the zoo and just really
looking to building the zoo of the future.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So tell us how does Pittsburgh Zoo compare to maybe
other cities and and if there's any shortfalls, where do
you think we can make up room and make up
that shortfall. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
I think our zoo for a city of our size,
really is very, very impressive. We have an incredible diverse collection.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
You know.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
One of the things that we're probably a little short
on right now is birds, but we have the National
Aviary is, like I said one of our colleagues right here,
but something that we are going to increase a little bit.
Being a major zoo, we have to have a diverse collection.
But you know, I think that our zoo is considered
actually a large zoo in the grand scheme of things.
(09:38):
We're not a small, little local community zoo or county zoo.
You know. Once again, drawing close to a million visitors
on any given years is quite a feat. And you
know what I'd like to see a lot more is
as tourism increases and throughout the Pittsburgh area. And I
think Pittsburgh has so much to offer as somebody who's
(09:59):
relatively new here or I think a lot of local
people take all that we have for granted, you know,
with all the cultural attractions, the museums, the zoo, the
natural parks, just concert venues, so much that we have here.
And I'm really hoping that as tourism increases in Pittsburgh
that we won't just be a zoo for western Pennsylvania
(10:22):
and the region, but you know, we'll be a true
travel destination that that's my hope for the future.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
All Right, tell us about the team, your team.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Yeah, I've got a great senior leadership team, and uh,
you know, we they've all kind of come on board, uh,
with the exception of our director of HR who's been
at the Zoo for a long time. But I was
able to really build an incredible team over the last
four years from my chief operating officer, Chief Advancement officer,
(10:53):
director at the Conservation Center, you know, just VP of Education,
VP of Living Collections, you know, just we really have
an incredible team and they're just so talented and so passionate.
And one of the things that I feel great about
is this is the team that can pull off all
(11:14):
these big plans. And by having this team in place
and by having a supportive community, the sky is really
the limit here.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
All right. So let me ask you, you have some
grand ideas. In fact, looking at your background, you've everywhere
you've gone, you've exceeded expectations. And I think that's probably
why they brought you in, is that you have that
knack you have. You certainly have the passion. That's pretty obvious.
You can I can tell just by talking with you.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I'm really excited. And one
of the first things that people ask me when I
got here is, you know, what's your big plans? And
the answer really was that my big plan was to
listen a lot. The first year or two. I still listen,
but especially those first two years, getting to know the community,
getting to understand what this community needs and wants from
(12:05):
its zoo. I mean that, you know, every zoo is
very different, and every community is very different, So there
isn't just a cookie cutter recipe that what I did
in Providence or in New Jersey or in South Bend
is going to work here in Pittsburgh. Now, there's certain
things that obviously, of course, you know, translate across all zoos,
good customer service, cleanliness, things like that that I fully expect,
(12:29):
and you know that we rival you know, the Disneys
of the world where in our customer service and in
our grounds. But I would say that, you know, listening
to the people from the community and understanding what they
want and what they need from us, uh is was
(12:51):
really important. I never would have envisioned that workforce development
would be something that they would be asking of us,
and quite honestly, it makes sense right after the city
of Pittsburgh. Our zoo is the number one employer of
youth in the entire city. So we are oftentimes you know, people,
you know, young adults, first job, and the skills that
(13:12):
they learn by us, you know, can translate anywhere. We
don't expect everybody who works at the zoo to become
a zoologist, a keeper, you know, an educator, but the
lessons they learned from responsibility and good customer service and
all the things that we teach them are really really
important for their development. So a perfect example of something
(13:33):
that we were asked to do that you know, we're
kind of honing in on a little bit more. I
would say. Another great example is, you know, when we
were looking at collection planning and on what types of
exhibits to bring into the zoo, you know, we sent
out surveys and we got nine thousand surveys returned to
us from the community. Eight thousand of them mentioned that
(13:56):
they wanted their big brown bears back. Never would have
been on my list had I not asked. You know,
they're not endangered, you know, they're they're pretty common. Once again,
I would have thought to put put something more exotic
in it. Or whatnot. But that's what I mean about
getting to know the community and understanding the community and
(14:17):
what they're they're looking for. And uh, you know, I
think it's it's really really important. You know, I think.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Why, but why? But I see I that's exactly what
I would have responded with. But why? Why do you
think Pittsburgh is is?
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Yeah, there's a lot of tradition here and a lot
of you know, our zoo is about memories, you know,
multi generational experiences and memories. We have grandparents coming with
their grandkids and showing them their their handprints, you know
in the aquarium or in kids Kingdom, you know, and
(14:55):
generation after generation come and they experience it together. And
we had numerous generations that experienced those big brown bears
in what's now not considered an acceptable exhibit, which is
why you know, we don't have them currently. But you know,
it's it's very visceral emotions when they think about those
(15:18):
experiences from when they were a kid and when they
saw that big brown bear standing up on its hind
legs and being so close to it, and and that's
the type of thing that while we're building our new
zoo of the future, offering those wow experiences, those face
to face you know, just experiences where you know there's
nothing separating you from a huge adult male line other
(15:39):
than a pane of glass, or you know, being able
to see the elephants up close and smell them and
just experience. You know, this is something that you can't
get watching you know, a show on TV or things. Yeah,
this is this is real life. And when we can
make those connections at our zoo, everything else is going
to fall into place. People to start caring empathy is
(16:02):
very important and hopefully start making differences in their lives.
And one of the other big things that I think
is really really important that I think our zoo is
is positioned very very well for is we are a
zoo for everybody. You know, all all races, all political parties,
all religions, everybody comes to our zoo. And I think
(16:27):
that that is incredibly powerful and the fact that we
have that power to bring people from diverse backgrounds together
in one location. And I think that's something that we're
continuing to work on to figure out how can we
continue to unify people because the world definitely needs a
(16:48):
lot more of that. And you know, we really feel
that we're positioned very very well to help move that along.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
Take me back when you were a kid and you've
you first were dreaming of of animals and becoming this
would be your vocation, Ken, do you think seven year
old Jeremy would believe he's doing this right now?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Seven year old Jeremy was very confident he'd be doing
this right really, Like.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
What was your first zoo experience as a kid? Do
you remember?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
It's hard to remember the very first one because my parents.
I grew up north of Chicago, so Lincoln Park Zoo,
Brookfield Zoo, and actually Milwaukee Zoo was not that far,
so those were probably the first three zoos that that
I visited when I was six months old, one year old,
so obviously a little bit before I can remember. But
I just found last year my baby book that my
(17:42):
parents put together, and I opened it up and it
has the different things that you know, you like, you know,
your your favorite rattle, whatever it is. And right at
the two year mark, my parents noted, Love's going to
the zoo. Knows every animal by heart, and you know,
it really has been since that young and you know,
(18:04):
I've really just been super passionate about it. I think
zoos are incredibly important for their communities in what we do.
And you know, not everybody can go out to Africa
or Asia to see these incredible animals, so to be
able to experience them right here in Pittsburgh is just phenomenal.
So growing up, you know, it's funny because I think
(18:26):
I'm probably the only veterinarian in the world who never
had a dog or a cat. Parents would never let
me have a dog or a cat. But I had
everything else. I had snakes, I had turtles, I had chinchillas,
I had birds, parrots, all sorts of fish.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Well, but this way, your animal collection now beats everybody.
That's true.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
I do have a little bit larger collection now with
home clus to ten thousand animals. So uh, it has
grown since since I was a little kid.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
Maybe what is the what is the one thing if
there was, if you can wave a magic one, what
is the one thing you want Pittsburghers to know or
appreciate about the zoo?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I would say that the one thing that I really
want them to fully understand is that, yes, we are
an incredible place to come for recreation and lifelong memories,
but we are so much more Yeah. Like I said,
we are doing conservation work around the world. We are
educating people all over the state and outside the state
(19:27):
as well. You know, we're just doing so much work
in the communities, and oftentimes this is stuff that people
never see. You know. One of the things, one of
my favorite event of the year is dream Night, and
nobody knows about it. Dream Night we open it up
to the special needs community and children with a variety
(19:48):
of illnesses, and we work with the local hospitals and
we invite them and their families in for a totally
care free, magical night where everything is on us, all
the foods provided, entertainment, and it's just an escape from
reality for these families for just one magical night. And
we don't publicize it ever because we respect their privacy
(20:10):
and this is about them. This isn't about promoting the
things that we do. But these are the types of
things that a lot of people don't realize and don't
fully understand on how much more the zoo does than
just a nice trip on the weekends, which is once
again incredibly important. I think quality family time is very
(20:32):
very important, and the zoo is one of the few
places left that you can actually get good quality family
time and really experience it together because we are a
zoo for all ages as well. It's one of my
pet peeves is that people tell me that I haven't
been to the zoo since my kids grew up, and
I keep telling them, you don't need kids to come.
(20:52):
We don't check at the door, and oftentimes it's a
more enjoyable experience when you can just take it on
your own pace and not have to run after a
lot of kids and whatnot. So, you know, I think that,
you know, the one thing that really want people to
understand it this is their zoo and we are much
more than what people kind of understand us to be.
(21:15):
And that's something that as we continue to rebrand ourselves
and and quite honestly, we haven't really done a great
job about bragging about the conservation work we do. I
mean things like the Allegheny wood rat or you know,
bringing bison for reintroduction on native tribal lands. I mean,
you know, these are things that we're really really proud
(21:37):
of and we definitely want people to know about those.
But you know, we're we're an incredible institution and there's
something here for everybody.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
I consider the zoo one of the prized assets to
the community. So thank you for keeping that tradition and
thank you for coming in and talking and talking with us.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
My pleasure. One of the things that I think people
don't realize that it's very important to us, is how
much of an economic engine the zoo is for the
community as well. And that's something that with all the
visitors that we bring in from out of state, from Ohio,
from West Virginia, from Maryland, and they're staying at our hotels,
they're reading at our restaurants, and it's something that I
(22:16):
think really it shouldn't be understated, is the economic impact
that our zoo has on the region. And as we
continue to grow and improve that impact, it only helps
everybody else. And that's something also that once again, we're
not in it just for us, but we're very in
it for the entire region and entire community because we
(22:36):
really want Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh in particular to be
very successful, and you know, our zoo is going to
be a very important part of that.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Doctor Jeremy Goodman, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo
and Aquarium, and certainly a CEO, you should know Jeremy,
Thank you so much, Thank you. This has been the
CEOs you should know podcast, showcasing businesses that are driving
our regional economy. Part of iHeartMedia meant to the communities
we serve. I'm Johnny Heartwell, thank you so much for listening.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
H
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