Zoo regains global status as 3 ex-officials await trials
When the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium lost its accreditation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in December 2021, it also lost its affiliation with its worldwide counterpart.
Now, a year after regaining the former, Columbus now has regained its membership in World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a 400-member association that helps coordinate experts in conservation, animal welfare, veterinary medicine and academic research across the globe.
Regaining an international voice will help the zoo play a part in halting biodiversity decline worldwide and help it earn respect among its peers. Columbus was a WAZA member from 1996 until late 2021, when The Dispatch reported that a trio of former executives stood accused of conspiring to use zoo property and funds for private use, including personal travel, expensive sporting events, and allowing their families to live in homes owned and managed by the zoo.
Former zoo CEO Thomas Stalf, former marketing director Peter Fingerhut and former chief financial officer Gregory
Bell were charged in September in a 90-count indictment. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said at the time that the three “extorted, conspired, bribed and stole” for family gain, equating the scheme to “hiring robbers to do security.”
Stalf's trial is set for Aug. 6. Fingerhut's for July 9. Bell pleaded guilty in October to 14 felonies. His sentencing is set for Aug. 19. All cases will be heard by Delaware County Common Pleas Judge David Gormley, who is running in the March 19 primary to be a 5th District Court of Appeals judge.
As CEO, Stalf was considered central to the corruption and theft, prosecutors say, and faces 36 felony charges. He is listed as a new car manager on the “Meet our staff ” page of Germain Honda of Dublin's website. Bell has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and testify, if necessary, against his former colleagues.
Meanwhile, the zoo has pledged to exercise extra caution in how it operates and to reform its accounting and oversight functions to prevent similar misconduct.
And it continues to help restore habitats for endangered species and share their practices with others.
“Wildlife conservation is at the core of our work, and at the Columbus zoo, we believe in the profound importance of collaborating with partners from around the world to create a lasting, positive impact on the future of wildlife,” Zoo President and CEO Tom Schmid said in prepared remarks. “We remain committed to leading efforts that bring experts together, address challenges facing wildlife, and build collaborative strategies to benefit wildlife and empower communities.”
In addition to being a member of WAZA, the Columbus zoo is accredited by the Zoological Association of America, the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums and certified by American Humane.
dnarciso@dispatch.com