Officials at Erie Zoo seek funding solutions. 'Zoo can no longer run on love and loyalty.'

The Oct. 31 death of Tikva, a 16-year-old Amur tiger, does not speak to the quality of care at the Erie Zoo, said Kate Philips, a member of the zoo's board of directors.

"It's a sad loss," she said. "Tikva had a very good life, but there is a cycle of life."

But the loss of the big cat is a reminder of the extra challenges the zoo faces these days after the announcement two years ago that the zoo had lost its 37-year accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

It was bad news for an institution that valued the validation provided by the AZA and the practical ways in which that endorsement enabled the zoo to replace animals like Tikva.

Others were dealt a similar setback.

At the same time, AZA also withdrew accreditation for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, one of the nation's largest and most respected zoos.

In May of this year, the Columbus Zoo regained accreditation, putting to rest AZA concerns about financial management issues and the zoo's repeated animal transfers with non-AZA members.

In other words, Columbus Zoo was penalized for providing animals to unaccredited zoos, in places like Erie.

Nearly a half-year later, the Erie Zoo continues to work with the AZA, but is yet to formally seek recertification.

By outward appearance, it's been mostly business as usual at the zoo.

Thousands of visitors have enjoyed a trip on Safariland Train, watched the rhinos at play, wandered through the Australian Walkabout or showed up in costume for the latest edition of ZooBoo.

But uncertainty, in the form of the lost accreditation, a lack of top leadership and, perhaps most significantly, financial concerns, invite questions about the zoo's future.

In a series of interviews, however, zoo officials, including three board members and Scott Mitchell, the zoo's director of development, addressed those concerns and offered a hopeful outlook.

But they also stressed the need for a new funding stream — not only to build exhibits but to tend to the daily business of running a zoo.

A new leader is coming

The zoo has been without a permanent leader since February of 2021, when Mitchell, the zoo's CEO since 2007, moved by mutual agreement to the newly created role of director of development.

Mitchell, long viewed as the face of the zoo, said he's content with the change and looking forward to new leadership.

"I am feeling pretty optimistic, to tell you the truth," said former state Sen. Jane Earll, who serves on the zoo's board of directors.

"Our CEO search is coming to a conclusion and I am very happy about the selection we have made," she said.

She said the board spent a lot of time making sure "that someone has the skillset to run the business that is the zoo."

Jeff Beach, chairman of the zoo's board of directors, said that announcement should be coming soon.

"I am hoping in the next couple of weeks," he said. "We are almost there."

The road back to accreditation

Zoo officials, who continue to attend conferences and interact with an AZA mentor, don't plan to apply to be reaccredited until they know what the answer will be, Mitchell said.

"We don't want to apply until we are ready and are convinced we are going to pass," he said. "To set a deadline would not be productive."

"We have taken major steps to be able to reapply," Earll said. "Some of it involves facility upgrades. It's also about getting our budget in order."

The future of one of those projects, a centralized veterinary center, got a substantial boost a year ago from a $3 million grant from the state Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program, known as RACP.

While the AZA didn't raise questions about the zoo's care of its animals, Mitchell said the zoo recognizes the importance of having a veterinary center.

"It's not that our veterinary care is bad, but our facilities are spread all over the campus," he said. "They (the AZA) would like to see something more centralized."

Philips expects the facility will do more than satisfy an AZA requirement.

"It's such a meaningful project for the zoo, the zookeepers and the veterinarians," she said. "It's also a meaningful project for the region. That state of the art center will also welcome domestic pets when they need care."

No one associated with the board has mentioned a self-imposed deadline to seek reaccreditation.

"The time frame is not in our hands," Philips said. "The steps that need to be taken, we have been working on it as quick as anyone can work to regain our accreditation. It's important to our zoo family and to the community."

There is nothing adversarial about the zoo's relationship with the AZA.

"It's something we are eager to get in our rearview mirrors," Philips continued. "The AZA has communicated very clearly that they want the Erie Zoo to be accredited They have connected us with the top consulting firm doing work on behalf of zoos in the nation."

Financial challenges

The zoo's most recent capital campaign, dubbed Wild Open Spaces, was launched in 2019 with a goal of raising $10 million. Four years later, about $7 million has been raised.

Opinions vary as to what to make of that shortfall.

Philips said the $10 million goal was effectively met when state grant money is included in the total.

Board Chairman Jeff Beach said the capital campaign, which remains open, raised about $7 million. The timing of the COVID-19 pandemic did not help, he said.

"About the time we would have made another big push was when COVID hit," he said. "We are fortunate and blessed that so many stepped up. People are still making small contributions."

Could the loss of AZA accreditation have hurt fundraising efforts?

Beach doesn't rule out the possibility.

While Beach stressed that the accreditation issue had nothing to do with animal care, "It (the AZA decision) may have influenced some people that were going to pull the trigger."

The zoo, which is currently rebuilding both the otter exhibit and expanding its red panda enclosure, has set its sights on other large capital expenditures, including a new giraffe exhibit and the veterinary center, Mitchell said.

But finding money for big projects isn't the zoo's only financial challenge.

Funding the operation

Completing those projects won't be the only financial challenge for the zoo.

"It's one thing to get money for capital projects," but the zoo also struggles to fund operations, Earll said. "Unlike most zoos, we don't get money from the city or the county."

In fact, a study by the Erie-based marketing firm of Parker Philips — a company founded by Kate Philips — shows that just 4% of the zoo's financial support comes from government sources. That stands in sharp contrast with 19% for Buffalo Zoo, 20% for Pittsburgh and 57% for Akron.

Mitchell said the zoo does receives financial support each year from Mill Village, North East and Summit Township.

The zoo also receives about $180,000 a year from the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, which provides funding to a number of organizations that have been identified as the community's lead assets.

"It's determined by a formula. It was a rational formula based on the size of the organization," said Perry Wood, executive director of the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority. "The zoo receives the most of all of our lead assets."

Wood said he thinks the contribution is appropriate.

"I think we are doing our part," he said.

Wood doesn't suggest, however, that it's enough to meet the needs of a zoo with employees to pay and more than 400 animals to feed.

"We love the zoo as much as everyone does, but right now they need more cash flow," he said.

Beach said another possible source of revenue could come from establishing a regional asset district.

In Allegheny County, for instance, a regional asset district uses a 1% sales tax to help fund assets such as libraries, parks and recreation as well as sports and civic facilities. In Erie County, there has been discussion about using a regional asset district to help fund Erie International Airport.

For now, the zoo receives no regular funding from Erie County, Millcreek Township or from the city of Erie, which owns the 15-acre zoo property.

Erie Mayor Joe Schember said he's open to the idea of helping the zoo, but he doesn't have a blueprint for how that might happen.

"I'm not sure what the city or I personally could do," he said in response to a question. "If they can give me an idea of how much money they need for what, I will take a look at what we are able to do before the end of this year."

Asked about the potential of funding from the county, Erie County Executive Brenton Davis said, "The county already contributes annually to the zoo by way of the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority. In addition the zoo received $111,111 in ARPA funding back in December of 2021.”

He continued: “The zoo is a city asset and the need for sustainable funding needs to be addressed at that level.”

Earll said the zoo's board and executives need to be able to factor in rising costs as they ponder the future budget. The AZA also has suggested the zoo should pay more competitive wages and fill additional positions.

"Because of a lack of funding we are forced to run the zoo on a shoestring budget," she said.

Mitchell explained the need to rethink zoo funding in a written statement that accompanied the release of the zoo's economic impact study in June 2022.

“A visitor-based revenue stream is not feasible as the Zoo strives to pursue its conservation efforts and modernize its facility,” according to Mitchell's statement. “When we saw the market analysis of public support for similarly-sized zoos in black and white we were blown away."

Running on 'love and loyalty'

"It's hard for anyone who loves the zoo to see it go through this transformation," Philips said.

"The zoo has run on love and loyalty for so many years," she said. "We just need more resources. We need operating funds in addition to capital funds."

There's a lot at stake, including the educational and conservation value of a zoo, along with the benefits that have been provided to generations of visitors.

With an annual budget of about $5 million, the zoo provides or supports about 250 jobs, draws about 310,000 visitors a year and generates an annual economic impact of about $21 million, according to the 2022 economic impact study.

Beach said zoo officials already have met with the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership to discuss a possible partnership to explore a regional asset district.

There is a sense among board members that every possibility is on the table, except for maintaining the status quo.

"We don't have a dedicated stream of funds," Earll said. "This is a regional aspect that has a major economic impact. We have to find a way to do better."

Beach said everyone involved is determined to maintain and improve the zoo.

"We are going to try our damnedest," he said. "We are going to work our tails off to solve this issue. We want to have the best zoo our area can have."

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: New leader coming to Erie Zoo as push for accreditation continues