Meet The Zoo Director - November - Joe Montisano, Central Florida Zoo

Name: Joe Montisano

Actual title: Chief Executive Officer

Name of your zoo or aquarium: Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens

URL for your facility: www.centralfloridazoo.org

Number of species at your facility: 219

Your favorite critter at the facility: Currently the baby Hoffman two-toed sloth that we are hand raising.

Total number of animals or fish at your facility: 347 – but closer to 600 if you count all the bugs in the Insect Zoo!

Number of visitors annually: 245,000

Number of employees: 80

Number of volunteers: 115

Annual budget: $2.6 million

Degree(s): Bachelors of Science, Business Management, University of Akron

Experience prior to this position: Executive Director, Wildlife Safari, Safari Game Search Foundation, Inc.
Director, Sales and Marketing, Busch Entertainment Corp.

Favorite part of your job: Opening of new or renovated exhibits, buildings or other elements of the park.

One dream wish for your facility: Tiger and orangutan exhibit to open!

Family: Wife, Kari and two great kids

Pets at home: Dogs and a guinea pig

When you retire, you plan to: Die on the job – or run a bed and breakfast featuring international cuisine, animal encounters and themed weekends.