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Restore Credibility At Zoo With New Leadership

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 16, 2008

It seems likely Lowry Park Zoo CEO Lex Salisbury will be fired when the zoo board holds an emergency meeting Thursday to review a city audit that concludes Salisbury abused his position.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has demanded a change in leadership and even says Salisbury's use of city-owned zoo assets in his private ventures merits a criminal investigation.

The zoo cannot continue to operate under this cloud even if, as Salisbury claims, the audit's findings are exaggerated.

But simply removing the CEO alone is not sufficient. The board's executive committee must reorganize the board to ensure it exercises rigorous oversight.

The board has made some helpful changes, such as appointing city, county and school board representatives on the executive committee. But a new governing structure that ensures objective oversight must also be a priority.

Salisbury denies any wrongdoing and says the audit ignored his explanations and other "exculpatory evidence."

He deserves a hearing. After all, Salisbury led the transformation of the zoo from a sad collection of cages to what is ranked as one of the best in the nation. His devotion to the zoo, where he worked 21 years, is obvious.

But even if all the questionable transactions reported in the audit are put into the most favorable light, it seems clear that things were run fast and loose, without much regard for accountability or the zoo's role status as a public facility.

It's hard to see how the zoo can restore public confidence without new leadership.

The audit, which was prompted by the reporting of the Tribune's Baird Helgeson, found Salisbury took zoo animals, equipment and supplies for Safari Wild, his private, for-profit venture in Polk County, and his private ranch in Pasco.

The report estimated Salisbury should pay the facility at least $202,000 for animals and equipment. It found he often got top dollar when selling his animals to the zoo, while buying them from the zoo at below-market charges.

Auditors found lax oversight of Salisbury's travel, credit card expenses and even the handling of bonuses.

Salisbury disputes the findings and says the mingling of his and the zoo's animals occurred from the start of his employment and usually benefited the zoo, such as when the zoo used Salisbury's trained hawks in its bird of prey demonstrations.

But the audit found the zoo director "seems unable to differentiate between his role as CEO of the zoo and the role he plays with his business and his ranch." It does appear that over time Salisbury, at the very least, lost perspective and got involved in unwise entanglements.

The board, its structure weak and its members understandably impressed with Salisbury's performance, was poorly positioned to detect questionable decisions or provide the guidance that might have averted troubling conflicts.

So board members will have no appealing options Thursday. Salisbury, without question, did a remarkable job. But the zoo's credibility must be restored, and that will require new leadership and a board with muscle.

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