Spotlight On: Jeff Ettling, President & CEO, Jacksonville Zoo

Spotlight On: Jeff Ettling, President & CEO, Jacksonville Zoo

2022-12-19T16:13:32-05:00September 30th, 2022|Economy, Jacksonville, Spotlight On, Tourism & Hospitality|

4 min read September 2022 Jacksonville Zoo is tackling critical issues surrounding animal and plant conservation and inspiring appreciation of wildlife. Invest: spoke with Jeff Ettling, president & CEO of Jacksonville Zoo, about some of their biggest achievements as of recent, pressing challenges, new marketing strategies and priorities going forward. “The next eight to 10 years are going to be very exciting here on our campus,” said Ettling.

What have been some of the biggest highlights and achievements for the Zoo in the past year or two?

Zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) have been pushing towards an intentional and strategic initiative focused on culture change, specifically relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. Here at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (JZG) we brought The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group onboard to help us with the development and implementation of an Inclusion and Culture Change Strategy. This strategy development was initiated prior to former President & CEO Tony Vecchio’s retirement and was well underway when I arrived in March 2022. Culture change doesn’t happen overnight. Culture takes time and commitment from everyone to make it work. The Executive Leadership Team together with the Inclusion Task Force (made up of JZG employees) have developed goals for the organization as we measure our success and challenges on our path to inclusion.  We are committed to being an employer of choice and are working as a team to meet this goal.  

What is it that separates the Jacksonville region from other tourism markets that you’ve worked in?

It’s the location and the multitude of attractions that are here in the state of Florida. If you’re coming from anywhere in the U.S., you’re likely going to pass through Jacksonville. We have an opportunity to capture those audiences on their route to other parts of the state. That’s something that we’re really looking at: How can we increase our capture rate of domestic and international travelers  whoare passing right by our door?

How has the Zoo changed as a result of COVID?

We increased cleaning in high-touch environments such as door handles, railings, etc. in our zoo and gardens. Then we learned months later that contracting COVID from hard surfaces was a lot more difficult than what was originally thought. We also learned to embrace technology in a new way due to COVID. All of our ticket purchasing is now online, and we’ve gone cashless. This has helped us plan more effectively and provide a better experience. Zoom has also helped us save time and financial resources.. We’ve discovered that there are lots of meetings that can be accomplished via Zoom, but as social animals there are benefits to meeting in person that are missed on a Zoom call. It allows us to balance our use of financial resources for meetings versus the efficiencies and effectiveness of Zoom.

What is your analysis of the labor shortage, and how has it affected the industry?

We’re all still struggling with getting to the staffing levels we were pre-pandemic. In terms of staffing levels, we’re not there yet but it’s improving. We’re holding job fairs because the traditional way of just posting a job isn’t sufficient on its own. Sometimes by the time you fill one opening (food service or gift shop), another position is soon vacant because that person is going back to school, becoming a caregiver and so on. 

We’re a mission-based conservation organization. We’re promoting that you can come and work for an organization that’s making a difference in the world, and for us it’s the conservation of  wildlife and wild places. Every job here at the Zoo and Gardens is equally important to helping us achieve our mission. We know that younger generations are selecting career fields where they’re making a difference in the world, so come join us at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. We also have opportunities for professional growth. 

Can you tell us about the W.I.L.D. Program and the impact that it’s having?

What’s impactful is when we’re connecting youth to nature and at the same time also helping them  develop leadership skills. The role of the modern zoo is more important now than it’s ever been due to the state of the world. Conservation isn’t an animal or plant problem; it’s a people problem. Zoos and gardens are some of the last opportunities to connect many youth to nature.  Data has shown that pro-environmental behaviors develop at an early age. Being nose to nose with a tiger, only separated by glass, or touching a snake are highly impactful to developing these behaviors. Our goal is for them to become good stewards of the planet as adults. It’s also gratifying for our entire team to see some of the W.I.L.D. graduates receive scholarships to local colleges or universities and their potential as future leaders. 

How are you engaging visitors with your conservation initiatives? 

I like to take a holistic view of conservation that it’s not just what we’re doing for plants, animals and in their habitats, but also what we’re doing to be good stewards of the planet right where  Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens sits. We can demonstrate green, sustainable practices (recycling, water conservation, etc.) that our guests can practice at home, too. Our goal is for them to leave realizing that it takes all of us to make a change. We  place a large emphasis on the conservation of local plants and animals, such as orchids whose habitats are in jeopardy. This is another opportunity for us to connect and involve our guests in efforts right here at home. My experience has been that when you are taking care of plants and animals in the “backyard,” it helps generate more support and enthusiasm for the work that we’re doing around the world as well. 

What are some of the new marketing strategies that you’re looking forward to implementing?

Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens has excellent conservation and animal wellness programs. We support more than 45 plant and animal conservation programs here at home and around the world, and we are one of seven zoos in the United States with an animal wellness team, helping to provide the very best care for our animals. A portion of sales from every admission and membership helps support both of these important programs. We are looking to promote these programs more strategically and with a broader reach.

We have not done a good job of talking about all the great things we do for the conservation and well-being of plants and animals. That will change soon as we are implementing a new interpretive plan throughout the Zoo and Gardens. You’re going to start to see repetitive messages that reinforce our efforts, so that by the time you end your visit you will feel good knowing you are helping with conservation initiatives here and around the world just by visiting.  The big message is to thank our guests for being conservationists. 

What is the biggest challenge the Zoo is currently facing?

The biggest challenge for any nonprofit is financial sustainability. We need to generate enough revenue to provide the best care for plants and animals now and into the future, which requires increasing our conservation presence and continuing to be the innovators of exhibits and animal well-being. Also, how do we retain employees in the long term? With the challenges that all of us are facing with retention, we want to attract talented individuals to our team and keep them here.

What is your outlook for the Jacksonville Zoo in the near term?

It’s very bright. Others are going to copy and model our conservation initiatives, which I think is tremendous. We have planned a new front entry with the Manatee Critical Care Center, a new education campus, a new lion habitat, new elephant habitat as well as bringing orangutans back to the Zoo. The next eight to 10 years are going to be very exciting here on our campus. The impact that we’re going to have on the conservation of animals and plants around the world, and what we’re doing to enhance the well-being of our resident animals here at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, is very exciting to me. It’s what attracted me to be part of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens team.

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