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E-Mail Show Lowry Boss Used Zoo Staff For Private Enterprise

Tribune file photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

Park co-owner Lex Salisbury talks about the 12 patas monkeys that got loose from their habitat in April.

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By BAIRD HELGESON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 22, 2008

From the beginning, Lowry Park Zoo President Lex Salisbury insisted that his Safari Wild exotic animal park in Lakeland would be a separate, private venture.

Lowry Park Zoo is a nonprofit organization that has been funded with millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Safari Wild is a fledgling, for-profit business owned by Salisbury and St. Petersburg veterinarian Stephen Wehrmann.

But a series of e-mails obtained by The Tampa Tribune show that the zoo's paid administrative staffers have worked to promote and garner political favor for Salisbury's private animal park, which is not open and remains mired in state and county permitting issues. It also appears that the zoo's staff has done work for Safari Wild without a vote of approval by the zoo's board.

"I didn't know anything about it," said Bill Blanchard, last year's chairman of the zoo board. "I can understand some coordination, but zoo staff should not be helping him build Safari Wild."

It's unclear how much time zoo staff spent working for Safari Wild, but one e-mail exchange indicates a zoo administrator attended an animal park tour for Polk County tourism officials.

Salisbury declined repeated requests for an interview, but zoo spokeswoman Rachel Nelson said staff members have spent a negligible amount of time doing work for Safari Wild.

The employees "work for the zoo. They do not work for Safari Wild," she said.

Nelson characterized any work done for Safari Wild as incidental, such as a secretary spending a few minutes to schedule a meeting between Salisbury and someone interested in the exotic animal park.

The fact that Safari Wild doesn't have an office or staff means some basic administrative tasks sometimes fall to zoo employees, Nelson said.

"Everybody knows it's hard to find Lex without calling the zoo," Nelson said. "The best we can do is pass along that information. And as his business develops, that will become moot once he has an office and staff."

Some of the e-mails detail work done by a zoo executive to help promote Safari Wild internationally.

Debbie Novak, the zoo's sales manager, scheduled and attended at least one Safari Wild tour for Polk County tourism officials in March.

"We are all still talking about our experience at Safari Wild," Joni Allen, at the Central Florida Visitors and Convention Bureau, wrote in an e-mail April 15 to Novak's zoo address. "Between you and me, we'll be able to fill the place."

Novak replied 15 minutes later: "I am so glad you all had a good time! I absolutely love it there!! It was great to see everyone from your office."

Novak went on to talk about unveiling Safari Wild at the International Pow Wow, one of the nation's largest travel expos.

"It's the perfect tradeshow to launch it!" she wrote.

Novak arranged for Allen to bring Safari Wild brochures to the tourism expo to promote the attraction.

"I am so sorry for the delay Joni!!! I just got them. Retail rates are $59 for adults and $42 for children," Novak wrote.

That same day, Katy Martin of the Central Florida Visitors and Convention Bureau arranged for a group of travel writers to tour Safari Wild in mid-June.

"Hopefully many stories will result and give you some great publicity," she wrote to Salisbury's zoo e-mail address. She copied Novak on the message.

In late May, Polk County officials ordered Safari Wild to stop work on the property after county staff found what appeared to be building permit violations.

About two weeks later, the zoo's human resources assistant, Sylvia Hatcher, exchanged e-mails with Polk County staff to arrange a Safari Wild tour for Commissioner Bob English.

On June 19, Hatcher arranged for Polk County Commission Chairman Sam Johnson to tour Safari Wild. Salisbury later donated $250 to Johnson's re-election campaign.

Novak and Hatcher referred questions to Nelson.

She said Novak already had a business relationship with the Central Florida convention bureau through the zoo and that it made sense for her to facilitate a meeting with Safari Wild.

"To me, it doesn't seem absolutely crazy," Nelson said. "She is not representing Safari Wild."

But Martin, of the convention bureau, said today it was her understanding that Novak works for the zoo and does public relations work for Safari Wild.

A local lawyer who specializes in nonprofit organizations said the arrangement between the zoo and Safari Wild could raise ethics issues.

"If the executive is using the zoo as a private pool of resources to develop a for-profit venture without board approval, it could be improper," said Daniel Anderson of Tampa.

Anderson and other attorneys for nonprofit organizations said the fact that the zoo receives taxpayer support amplifies the potential conflict. Some might see Salisbury as indirectly using taxpayer money to build his business.

Lowry Park Zoological Society, the nonprofit organization that runs the zoo, had a budget of about $13.5 million in 2006. Of that, less than 6 percent was from government subsidies, according to the zoo's annual report.

That year, Hillsborough County taxpayers gave the zoo $2 million for capital improvements and $499,980 for daily operations, according to the county budget office.

The city gave the zoo $350,000 for operations in 2006, according to the city budget. This year, the city will boost its zoo contribution to $450,000.

In 2006, Salisbury made more than $271,000 a year as zoo director.

There is a natural connection between the zoo and the animal park. Salisbury has said that the animal park would be a place for zoo animals to recover from being on display, with room to roam free.

The proposal for the Polk County animal park included African-style safari tours in which up to 500 daily visitors would see roughly 1,000 exotic and endangered species, including zebras, cheetahs and potentially rhinoceroses.

Salisbury also has said the zoo is looking for a large piece of property to buy in the Tampa Bay area for a satellite facility where visitors could see animals in a different, more natural habitat.

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668 or bhelgeson@tampatrib.com.

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