Hometown: Decatur

Family: Married to Cheryl. They have four dogs: Razor, Henna, Ursa and Toro.

Occupation: Director of Scovill Zoo

Education: Bachelor of science in forestry and wildlife management, Southern Illinois University

If you had one of those "I'd rather be ?" bumper stickers on your car, it would read: "I'd rather be fishing, boating and watching wildlife on Lake Shelbyville."

Hobbies/interests: Restoring antique piano stools,-;woodworking and furniture making, any activities involving water and fishing, and collecting beautiful and interesting things.

Why I do what I do: Through my work at Scovill Zoo and outreach presentations to individuals and organizations, I try to inspire and educate our community to conserve and respect wildlife, animals and natural ecosystems while enjoying a pleasant recreational experience.

Personal approaches to challenges: I try to keep a sense of humor, listen to all sides and treat everyone fairly.

Community involvement: Over the years, I have volunteered at many area organizations and events, including Breakfast Sertoma, Dove and the Regional Office of Education.

How did you become involved with the zoo? Did you think your relationship would last so long? I began working for the Decatur Park District in the 1970s during my summers home from college. My first position was in the horticulture department. Following graduation, I worked at Faries Park Golf Course as assistant greenskeeper for one year and then became manager at Scovill Farm.-;I was the zoo's only full-time employee for eight years and also lived at the zoo in the manager's home, which was a requirement for the position. At that time, I was also night watchman for Scovill Park. During the open zoo season, I worked every weekend, with Monday as my day off (although I still had to feed and care for the animals!). As soon as I considered leaving because of the hectic schedule, someone would donate money to renovate an exhibit or bring in a new animal, and I'd be recharged and ready to carry on.-;Then, in the early 1980s, the district developed a master plan for the zoo, and we began hiring a full-time, professional staff. We then installed the Z.O. & O. Express train, and our attendance doubled. Revenue from the train went to renovate and build new exhibits and still does to this day. As the zoo staff and grounds grew, we needed additional revenue, so we added the Endangered Species Carousel, another fun and educational attraction.-;Zoo animals just get in your blood, and it has been exciting to work with people so passionate about wildlife and conservation.

What has been the benefit of having spent your entire career in your hometown? Making a lifelong career in Decatur has allowed me to maintain wonderful, lasting relationships and build Scovill Zoo from the ground up. When you stay in your hometown, people know you and tend to support your cause.

We've all seen the videos of people who are comfortable around animals being caught off guard. What was the scariest situation you've been involved in? In the mid-1970s, we had two Malayan Sun Bears named Nip and Tuck.-;One morning, I found them at the Zoo House, which was located outside of the zoo's perimeter fence. They had torn a hole in the metal of their exhibit and another hole in the chain link fence. I was by myself and knew it was up to me to get them back into the zoo and into their exhibit.-;I raced to the refrigerator for a jar of honey and got their attention with it.-;After they got a taste of the honey, they followed me back into the zoo. I put them in an empty exhibit and kept feeding them honey as I tried to close the gate, with no success. The bears were in a honey feeding frenzy. I spilled some of the honey on my clothes, and when the jar was empty, the bears licked me! I tried to leave the exhibit, but one bear began to hug me, picked me up off the floor and would not let me go. The other bear stayed by the gate, blocking any chance of exit. The bear that held me kept walking around and caressing me with enormous claws (that are larger than those of a grizzly bear!), causing a good deal of pain. I didn't make any noise since I didn't want to become a squeaky toy to get played with and bitten by two excited bears.-;After all remnants of honey were gone from my body, the bear let me loose. I tore to the gate, pushed aside the other bear, got out and locked the gate. Soon, I found another zoo that was searching for Malayan Sun Bears, and I happily let these animals go. We have not had bears at our zoo since then.

Have you always loved animals, or did you just grow into it as part of your job? From a very young age, I learned to love and respect animals. I had many relatives who were farmers, and I spent summers with them, taking care of their animals.

How has the zoo changed over the years? In its infancy, the zoo was a very different place. It was very small, but we still had bears, cows, baboons and 14 ponies. We operated a pony ride every day and had various domestic and exotic animals.-;Zoo admission was 25 cents, and pony rides were 25 cents.-;The zoo began growing when we completed our master plan in the early 1980s and hired a professional staff.

What has been the biggest challenge?-;My goal since I became zoo director was to achieve accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.-;Everything Scovill Zoo did for more than 20 years was to reach the high standards of national accreditation. We applied and succeeded in 2001. Only 214 zoos are accredited out of 2,500 zoos in North America. We have the same high quality of animal care, staff, support, guest

services, facilities, safety, finance and education as any other accredited zoo, including San Diego, Brookfield and other very well-respected zoos in our nation's largest cities.

What does the future hold? Scovill Zoo has a very bright and financially sound future. Some day, we hope to expand into the garden area to the north and bring in some new exhibits, possibly giraffes and red pandas.

Can you tell us something about the zoo most people don't know? Five cents of every zoo admission goes directly to the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Conservation Centre in South Africa. This amounts to $5,000 every year. The money is used to support the organization's 10-year study of free, roaming cheetahs to determine where they live and how the conflict can be lessened between the animals and local farmers. Anatolian guard dogs are provided to the farmers to scare the cheetahs away from livestock so they are not killed. So when you are having fun-;visiting Scovill Zoo, you are also helping cheetah conservation in Africa.

What display brings you the most joy? The flamingo exhibit. It is beautiful!

Any words of advice for your successor? Treat all zoo visitors like they are a major donor: They may be someday. And don't say anything unless you could say it to your favorite grandmother, and she would not be offended.

Post retirement plans? I'll spend more time on Lake Shelbyville, restoring antiques, volunteering for area organizations, traveling, collecting interesting items and working part time for the Decatur Parks Foundation.-;I also plan to write a best-selling book about my zoo experiences over the years!