Children’s Zoo Launches Executive Director Search

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The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo has started the search for for its next executive director as longtime director Jim Anderson on Tuesday announced his retirement.

Anderson, who has worked for the zoo for more than 40 years, will step down at the close of the 2020 season.

He’s served as executive director since 1994. He started at the zoo in 1976 as a seasonal zookeeper.

“While walking away from the place I’ve loved for 44 years is never easy, I’m confident there’s no better time for me to do so – and no better team to continue building our success than the one we have in place now,” Anderson said.

Anderson is working with the zoo’s board of directors in a national search to find his own replacement.

Annual attendance is approximately 600,000 a year, which the zoo says is nearly double what it was in 1994.

The zoo opens for its 56^th season on April 18.