Former Chaffee Zoo Director Speaks Out

Thursday, January 12, 2006

November 22, 2005 -- She's been the director for just over three months, but Tuesday, Donna Fernandes finished her last day of work at the Chaffee Zoo.

Donna Fernandes has a PHD in zoology from Princeton, an MBA, and five years experience at each zoo in Boston, New York and Buffalo.

Tuesday, she laid out her story on why her stay in Fresno was only three months.

Donna Fernandes' resignation letter was not enough. She says many at the zoo wanted her to speak out, "So many of the staff and the docents and the board said please, we want you to come out with some of this stuff ... so I did."

Fernandes said missing her former zoo in Buffalo was just half the reason for leaving. The other was two zoo board members — treasurer Dave Cowin, who is resigning at the end of the year, and chair Jay Weed, who says he will have to be voted off.

Fernandes says Weed told her the city did not want her help negotiating a zoo lease. She says the city in fact welcomed her input.

Fernandes says Weed told employees they would not lose their jobs, "He had come out here and promised all the employees that they would all be able to keep their jobs. And then my first dinner with them was like, well you're going to have to decide who you are going to keep. You'll have to replace much of the staff."

Weed says someone at the zoo has been feeding wrong information, "We never said anybody had to re-apply for their jobs. Wouldn't that be silly."

He says the three board members criticized — Weed, Cowin and former member Mike Woods — all offered to resign if Fernandes stayed.

Fernandes also says board member Dave Cowin did not let her report $3.5 million in zoo revenue in the budget, "You should be up front about that and still show your income."

Cowin, in his resignation statement on Monday, said he has always been straightforward with county finance staff.

But while Fernandes was asked to prepare for cuts, she says Cowin wanted all board members to travel to a national zoo convention.

Dave Cowin could not be reached for comment, but Jay Weed said he got a call and letter this morning signed by fellow board members asking for his resignation. He is so far refusing to step down.

Weed says he wants the opportunity to defend himself in public at the next meeting on December 1st.

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