Yesterday's article from KQED contains some further insight, and a disturbing choice of words in their title.
No one wants to read these words. No one wants Tanya Peterson to "Come Out on Top". To continue her Destruction of Our Zoo and her Management Dictatorship.
Our Zoo has been ignored by those tasked with watching over it for too long, that must change.
Early last week, I was told that another Board Member had resigned. That made two in less than a week. Then the news Thursday that the Board Chair resigned. Now this KQED article reports a total of five have left.
The failure to reach a unanimous decision in recent Board meetings to vote on the Removal of Tanya Person as Director of Our Zoo, was directly related to pro-Peterson Members.
It is well-known that not only are there Board Members who are friends with Peterson, there are Board Members who were allegedly given seats on the Board, by Peterson.
That said, it is my opinion that any seat vacancies, and now there are reportedly at least five, will be filled by additional Peterson appointees.
I consider this Bias and a Corruption that will continue indefinitely if Recreation and Park Department Manager Phil Ginsburg and/or The City Mayor Daniel Lurie, do not step-in and assert their Authority over the Zoological Society, in multiple ways, but specifically, immediately and foremost, to Remove Tanya Peterson as Director of Our Zoo.
Corey Hallman of Teamsters Local Union 856, who represents over a hundred Zoo employees, told KQED,...
“I’m shocked at how dysfunctional the board is and how they’ve ignored union members [and] nonunion members employed at the zoo [and] community members and seem to just keep moving forward as if there’s no problem.”
I wrote a blog post last year dated May 28th, titled, "ZooFest Letdown - Apparently Party Goers Think The Zoo Is Doing Just Fine". A year plus later, and the Zoological Society Board and Members are still patting themselves on the back, thinking they are doing a bang-up job managing Our Zoo. The only thing they are doing a bang-up job at, is supporting Tanya Peterson's Mass Mismanagement, and Animal Welfare Offenses, among so much more. Here are two paragraphs from that post...
> So, ZooFest, aka party for people who think they are doing a bang-up job in relation to their respective authority related positions within the Zoo system. Late Tuesday (5.21) night, ZooFest photos came my way (viewable at drewaltizer.com). I scanned through all 400+ and towards the end I got to the presentation part of the event. The fest theme this year was in celebration of the last Zoological Board Chair, Ed Poole. Let me first say, when I heard this theme choice, I thought it odd. I admit I don't know much about the guy, but what I know, is like the two before him, that cover the time frame I've been monitoring the Zoo, he seemed to do a whole lot of nothing in regard to making sure there was oversight in Director Tanya Peterson's management of the Zoo. So, I'm obviously not impressed. In addition, I also emailed him when that Petition calling for Peterson's resignation came out last summer. I asked him for a comment for a post I was writing about it. I wanted to know whether or not the Board was taking the Petition and it's words seriously? I got no reply.
So, when I saw the series of photos of ex-Chair Poole, with Director Peterson, and Mayor Breed, onstage, smiling, laughing, holding a Panda drawing and obviously patting eachother on the back, I was disgusted. The Zoo is falling apart, the media is reporting scandalous issues, Staff has voted No Confidence in Peterson, and these key players are acting like nothing is wrong. I get that its a party, but it just looks bad from my point of view. I had hoped at some point the Mayor would be helpful in fixing the Zoo to some extent, not only because there are desperate fixes, but also because I would think she'd want the Zoo at its best for when her Pandas get here, but seeing those photos, it became very clear she is now in the nest of delusion and/or no care with the lot of them now that she's got her Panda Plan. To me, it all read like the Zoo could crumble, but as long as the Panda enclosure is standing, all is good, and screw all the Animals that already live there, and the Zoo's other Needs. <
The Chronicle article from this past Thursday, reported news of current Zoo leaders, putting forth a proposed plan for a Management Team already in place, in Our Zoo, who are able to take over.
This KQED article gives further insight from that team.
Earlier this month, a group of 12 unionized and nonunionized zoo employees sent the board of directors an anonymous letter, viewed by KQED, calling for Peterson’s removal. They wrote that she has created an environment that is “toxic beyond comprehension,” led by a lack of transparency, increasingly siloed departments and caused high employee turnover.
The dozen signatories, who said they are members of the zoo’s leadership team and sent the letter anonymously for fear of retaliation, wrote that employees would be able to step up to lead the facility if Peterson were removed.
“We will reverse the erosion of the programs, facilities, and standards that have progressively declined each year [Peterson] has held onto her power,” the letter reads.
I am beyond happy to hear more of their words. A Management Team of Current Staff has been what I have thought will be best to Fix Our Zoo.
That said, I do believe there needs to be other changes for optimal success. Those thoughts can wait. First things first!
The immediate need is that Mayor Lurie and/or Phil Ginsburg need to take notice, and act now. They need to Remove Tanya Peterson and let this proposed Management Team, start fixing and healing Our Zoo.
