Tom Stalf had meteoric rise to lead Columbus zoo before falling in corruption case

More than three decades ago, Tom Stalf, fresh out of college, was hired as a zookeeper at the Niabi Zoo in central Illinois, working his way through different jobs, including reptile keeper and caring for cats and bears.

“I was only 25 at the time,” he recalled in a 2017 interview with Zoophoria.net. “I went from being an entry level keeper to running the place in four years," he boasted of his rise at the Niabi zoo, just south of Davenport, Iowa.

It was an example of Stalf's youthful confidence and self-promotion that would be noticed and eventually led him to lead one of the premier zoos in the country. At age 44 he'd become president and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds in Muskingum County.

Along the way, Stalf would do what all zoo leaders do: embrace their love of animals, champion conservation efforts and speak about their dedication to public service. According to court documents, however, he would also take advantage of the zoo's generosity, from exploiting perks and country club memberships to outright theft, bribery and fraud. He was indicted last month of defrauding the tax-supported zoo of more than $2 million for personal gain.

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Like his famous predecessor, Jack Hanna, Stalf was charismatic and charming. Being photographed with exotic or endangered species linked him visually as a crusader for wildlife and steward of the environment, endeavors hard to fault.

He inherited the role of ambassador to one of Ohio's premier travel destinations. But over much of his eight years of leadership, he was undermining the beloved institution he was entrusted to protect, according to an indictment filed in September against Stalf and two others by the Ohio Attorney General's office.

Stalf is accused of 36 felony charges in the 90-count indictment, including aggravated theft, telecommunications fraud and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, all first-degree felonies. If convicted of even one of these, Stalf faces up to 11 years in prison.

He's also been charged with bribery, money laundering, conspiracy and numerous counts of tampering with evidence. Greg Bell, the zoo's former chief financial officer and Peter Fingerhut, the former marketing director face similar charges.

The former top leaders are accused of using the zoo's public, private and taxpayer funds for private use, including misuse of zoo credit cards to attend sports and entertainment venues for their friends and families, purchase of a recreational vehicle for family outings and allowing relatives to live in homes owned or controlled by the zoo at rental rates far below market value.

Stalf nor his attorney returned calls seeking comment for this story.

How could it happen?

While others are implicated in the corruption scheme, it was Stalf who led the organization. Why he was chosen for the top job in 2013, and why red flags during his eight-years as CEO, and four years at the zoo prior to leading it, are questions not fully answered.

There are theories.

"The zoo was growing and having a lot of success. And with that complacency can set in," said Jerry Borin, a former Columbus Zoo CEO who was asked to take the job on an interim basis when The Dispatch first uncovered the fraud and Stalf agreed to resign in 2021.

Oversight for the not-for-profit Powell, Ohio-based zoo that receives about 20% of its revenue from Franklin County taxpayers is being questioned. The Ohio Auditor's office, which routinely audits public entities, does not regularly audit the zoo, a spokesman said, in part because of the zoo's hybrid nature of private-public funding.

Franklin County in April announced a new agreement that creates a single zoo board comprised of county and city appointed members along with zoo appointees intended to create stronger oversight. None of the new appointees contacted by The Dispatch have returned calls.

The Dispatch requested financial records and anything in Stalf's personnel file that might explain his misconduct or red flags. So far, the zoo has sent financial audit reports from 2014 to 2020 and several management letters from John Gerlach and Company, the zoo's auditor since at least 2001.

Suggestions by Gerlach about loose internal controls, including lack of receipts for travel expenses, were made as early as 2015. However, there was no evidence that they were enforced.

A woman who answered the phone at John Gerlach and Company, said "I'm sorry, we have no comment," when The Dispatch called to speak with someone.

According to the zoo's IRS Form 990, Stalf's base salary was $430,000 for the year ending 2020, his last full year as CEO. Greg Bell's salary was $315,000. Jack Hanna's salary as emeritus director was $504,000.

Tom Schmid, the zoo's current president and CEO, has pledged transparency and assurance that new controls and oversight will prevent similar problems in the future, although the board did not address the indictments at their recent meeting.

How Stalf's self-proclaimed dedication and passion for animals and conservation did not mirror his faithfulness to the zoo's operational standards and values may eventually be answered in a Delaware County courtroom.

Choices other than Stalf

In 1993, Hanna left the job to become director emeritus. He was replaced by Borin who had a long history with the zoo including as its general manager in 1985. In 2008, Jeff Swanagan succeeded Borin, but he died of a heart attack a year later at age 51. His replacement was Dale Schmidt, the zoo's chief operating officer who held the top job until he left for personal reasons in 2012.

Schmidt, unlike Hanna and Stalf, likely lacked the stature and personality for the job, and the zoo board didn't fight to keep him on, said Borin

Ultimately, Borin said of the board's decision, "I don't know what their motivation was."

In a 2018 Columbus Zoo Facebook post, Stalf explained how he graduated with a biology degree from Western Illinois University, became a zookeeper at the Niabi Zoo and found his calling not with reptiles, leopards or bears, but with one of the largest animals in the world.

"Once I started working with Asian elephants that is what inspired me to make this a career," he wrote, noting that the animals were "so intelligent and kind."

Around 2010, after meeting Hanna, he came to Columbus to become the zoo's senior vice president of operations.

"One year later, I was promoted to the Chief Operations Officer, and then in February 2013 the Board of Directors appointed me to President and CEO," Stalf wrote.

In the Facebook post, he advises those seeking careers in the field to be inspired to volunteer and start early.

"Have a great work ethic. Make sure you give your best at your job. Be the employee that everyone can count on. Look for ways to improve your knowledge and advance. I went from an entry-level zookeeper to director (at Niabi) in less than 4 years! I guess I was in the right place at the right time and I showed my dedication through hard work and passion."

"I think that speaks to his ego," said Borin of Stalf's boasting.

'Not that difficult to follow the rules'

Just after he became CEO, The Dispatch wished Stalf well in a 2013 editorial that praised the zoo as "one of the most respected and successful zoological parks in the nation, a voice and a conservator for endangered species and an economic driver for central Ohio's tourist-boosted economy."

"Tom Stalf certainly has his work cut out for him. But Stalf is a respected and tested choice as the zoo's new leader," The Dispatch wrote.

Borin said "there's a level of surprise," about Stalf's downfall and that of his co-conspirators.

"It's so disappointing because it's not that difficult to follow the rules and do the right thing," Borin said. "I just hate it ... to see the zoo go through this."

When he took over for Stalf in 2021 Borin ended the country club memberships and other perks. A so-called barter system in which zoo officials gave away zoo passes in exchange for personal gifts also stopped.

"We didn't need the barter system and all these credit cards," Borin said. "If I were going to entertain, I had the perfect place to do it, at the zoo."

Asked what he might tell Stalf if he bumped into him in Delaware County where they both live, Borin said. "You had one of the best zoo jobs. It wouldn't have been that hard to follow the rules."

dnarciso@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: How Tom Stalf rose from zookeeper in Illinois to lead Columbus zoo