Retiring director recalls fondest zoo memories

For the first time in a quarter-century, the Sedgwick County Zoo will need a new leader.

Mark Reed, the zoo’s director since 1991, says it’s been an emotional ride since Aug. 23, when he notified employees, friends and other zoo directors about his decision to retire.

Reed said he figured out quickly after he arrived in Wichita in 1979 how much the city loved its zoo, which has since become the No. 1 outdoor tourist attraction in the state.

“It’s become more than a place that has a collection of animals, more than a zoo, so to speak,” Reed said. “It’s become a huge part of this community.”

‘I had a good thing here’

It’s a family business for Reed, whose father was the director of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

“My dad was married to his work, just like I was,” Reed said.

Growing up, Reed always wanted to do something with animals. He kept snakes, turtles, frogs and toads. That choice in pets was partially because he’s allergic to the feathers on some birds such as parrots.

After attending K-State, he was the general curator for the zoo in San Antonio. That confirmed his career choice.

“I knew almost instantaneously that I loved it and enjoyed it,” he said.

When he joined the Sedgwick County Zoo in 1979, he told original zoo director R.L. Blakely he would spend at least five years there. He noted some people in the field spend two to three years at a zoo before moving on to the next opportunity.

“I hadn’t been impressed with what they had gotten accomplished during that period of time by jumping around so much,” Reed said.

Reed became the zoo’s second director in 1991 after Blakely retired. Some opportunities at other zoos came up, but he said he wanted to stay in Wichita.

“I had a (Zoological) Society and a community that was willing to go out on a limb with raising money and doing some very creative exhibits,” Reed said. “I had a good thing here.”

Phoenix Zoo director and CEO Bert Castro says Reed has been a mentor for him since he interned at the Sedgwick County Zoo as a graduate student at Friends University.

“I remember Mark really going out of his way to be helpful, and that’s something that’s always stuck with me in my career,” Castro said.

‘He left his mark’

Under his tenure, the zoo opened the North American Prairie, Koch Orangutan and Chimpanzee Habitat, Downing Gorilla Forest, Cargill Learning Center, Pride of the Plains, Cessna Penguin Cove, Slawson Family Tiger Trek and the Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley.

“Mark is been responsible for building the zoo for really for the last several decades and turned it into a world class institution,” said Zoo Board president Mark DeVries.

The zoo has seen its attendance grow over the years because of its ability to be a family attraction, Reed said. Yearly attendance in 1991 was 349,876; it was 581,773 last year.

“Not everyone likes football. Not everybody likes the same kind of movie,” Reed said. “Going to the zoo is one of the few things multigenerational families can do together and not be embarrassed.”

Reed was president of the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums from 1996 to 2003. And he served on the council for the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Houston Zoo CEO Lee Ehmke said he visited European zoos with Reed.

“It gave me a good picture of his appreciation for zoos and doing what’s best for the animals,” Ehmke said.

Ehmke said Reed is well-respected among the small group of directors in the industry.

“You can probably count on one or two hands the number who’ve had that kind of tenure at a single institution,” Ehmke said. “He’s left his mark. It’s very clear a legacy he’s been able to create there.”

‘Most challenging thing’

The zoo’s quest to get new elephants for the zoo’s elephant exhibit was the most challenging thing in his career, Reed said.

He had thought about retirement a few times before the zoo decided to import elephants from Swaziland in southern Africa. The zoo partnered with zoos in Dallas and Omaha to bring the elephants to the United States. The county and private donors helped pay for the $10.6 million elephant exhibit.

“I knew I wanted to get the elephant issue resolved,” Reed said. “It was a race between getting the elephants here but not only that but raising the money and getting the exhibit built in time.”

Reed said the zoo faced the “ticking clock” of new AZA requirements for zoos to have multiple elephants in their exhibits.

The Fish and Wildlife Service approved the permits for the import in January. In a swift and controversial move, the zoos had the elephants moved to the airport despite a legal challenge from an animal rights group.

The elephants’ arrival in March and the exhibit opening in May served as the pinnacle of his career, Reed said.

“I can work another 10 years and never have something like that happen again.”

‘This turmoil’

Reed said he regretted his retirement announcement came as the county and the zoo board work on contract negotiations.

“I just hated that it was coming right during this turmoil,” Reed said.

A county proposal to boost its role on the zoo board and set up guidelines regarding the zoo director’s public statements became a hotly contested political issue in the Republican primary for Sedgwick County Commission District 3.

Reed said citizens “spoke loud and clear” when David Dennis defeated incumbent Karl Peterjohn, who supported the proposal. Dennis made the zoo a postcard issue in the primary.

The zoo board is now considering a county proposal to fund the zoo based on a set mill levy instead of an annual funding request.

Commission Chairman Jim Howell thanked Reed for his “steadfast loyal service to our community” at the Aug. 24 commission meeting.

“It wouldn’t be the zoo it is today if it wasn’t for Mark Reed,” Howell said. “He’ll be very tough to replace.”

Commissioner Tim Norton called Reed’s retirement bittersweet.

“He has had a profound impact on the largest attraction in the state of Kansas and certainly a jewel of Sedgwick County.”

Reed’s last day as director will be Dec. 31. The search for a new director has already started, and the interview and vetting process are expected to last several months.

“This will be a very attractive position for people in the industry,” DeVries said.

What’s next

After nearly four decades of living in Wichita, Reed and his wife, Mary, are ready to move on.

They’ve narrowed a list of about 20 places in the western half of the U.S. to three college towns in Oregon: Corvallis, Bend and Ashland.

“I always figured I wanted to retire in a university town so I could stay plugged in with what universities have to offer,” Reed said.

But he says he’s looking forward to coming back to Wichita to enjoy Zoobilee, its annual fundraising event.

“Zoobilee is not a fun night for me,” Reed said, laughing. “I mean, it’s fun. But I’m working.”

Moving to the West Coast will provide space between him and the place where he worked for more than half of his life, Reed says.

“If I was living here, I would want to know what’s going on. I’d want to come by every day. I don’t want that,” he said. “It’ll be easier coming back once or twice a year to stop by and see the place. That’s the real reason for leaving.”

This story was originally published September 7, 2016 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Retiring director recalls fondest zoo memories."