COLUMBUS – The Board of Directors of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Tuesday named Tom Schmid, who currently leads the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, as the zoo’s new president and CEO.
Schmid takes over after the resignations earlier this year of former CEO Tom Stalf and former CFO Greg Bell following reviews into misusing zoo assets.
Schmid, 58, will take over as head of the zoo, as well as The Wilds, Safari Golf Club, and Zoombezi Bay, on Dec. 6, zoo officials announced Tuesday.
Schmid is credited with growing the Texas aquarium into one of the largest in North America, raising nearly $100 million to support its mission.
“Tom Schmid is widely acclaimed throughout the zoo and aquarium industry to be extremely smart, ethical and passionate about zoos and wildlife conservation. I believe that we have found an individual with the experience to lead this zoo and take it to the next level,” board chairman Keith Shumate said.
Schmid will follow interim director Jerry Borin, who returned from retirement in April to lead the organization after Stalf and Bell resigned.
“The [zoo’] possibilities are endless, and it’s truly an honor to be selected to lead this organization and see what new opportunities we can create together,” Schmid said.
Schmid has served as chair of the board of directors of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a board member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Home to more than 10,000 animals, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium complex includes the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay water park and the 18-hole Safari Golf Club.
The zoo also manages The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio.