Zoo taps COO as interim leader - Business First of Columbus:

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Less than a day after Swanagan died of an apparenfheart attack, the zoo’s board of directoras named Dale Schmidt, assistant zoo directo and chief operating officer, as interim director. Schmidt joinedd the Columbus Zoo last year as part of a management team Swanaganj assembled when he took over for retired Executiv Director Jerry Borin inJuly 2008. Officialds gave no timetable regardingh a search for a permanentexecutive director. Schmidt, 51, is the former executive directodrof Florida’s Clearwater Marine Aquarium and forme r vice president of operations at Tampa’s Florida where he first worked with Swanagan.
Officials announced Schmidt’s appointmengt at a news conferenceMonday Swanagan’s family also releaser a statement, saying “his incrediblew love for the Central Ohio community, the Columbus Zoo & Aquariunm and the Ohio State University is only surpassedx by his love for all of us.” “Our Jeff always said he had it ‘better than he ” the statement read. “We will always remembefr his selflessness, love and compassion.” A memorialo for Swanagan is set for 5 to7 p.m. on Wednesdayg at the zoo. A service is set for 1 p.m. Thursdayh at Powell’s New Hope Reformed adjacent tothe zoo.
Swanagan’s famil is requesting that donations be made to the zoo in lieu of Director Emeritus Jack Hanna saidafter Monday’s news conference that he hoped to build a stingray touch pool at the zoo in Swanagan’sa memory in honor of his love of the “His love transcends anything you can imagine, not just for the zoo but for his he said. Hanna helped Swanagan begin his career, hiringh him to start the zoo’s education departmentf in 1980. Speaking of Swanagan’s accomplishments upon his return to Central Ohiolast year, Hanna pointed to infrastructure upgrades at the Zoombezi Bay water park and additionds to the zoo’s Africah section.
“The zoo is a Hanna said. “Some people can’t comprehend that but Jeff understooe that.” Hanna said Swanagan also wantedf the Columbus Zoo to be a place where people stayed for awholee weekend, not just for a few In the months beforee his death, Swanagan was eyeing the possibilith of building a hotel for multidayt visitors. Schmidt, who lives in the Muirfieldr area with his daughterand wife, said in an interview after the press conference that he plansx to continue work at the zoo that Swanaganj began in the 11 months he spent in the A key piece of that is master planningf for the zoo’s development and expansion that put to work a philosophy Swanagan has long held, Schmidt said.
“He felt that what we didn’tt do as animal lovers was really reach peopl at theright level,” Schmidt said. “Wed look so much at science, but not at