There’s a new human in charge of the animals at the Dickerson Park Zoo. The Springfield-Greene County Park Board has named Jackson Thompson as Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation — Dickerson Park Zoo, effective Sunday, May 19.
Thompson’s job title is informally “Zoo Director.”
Thompson, 39, has spent his entire professional 20-year career at Dickerson Park Zoo, starting on the guest services staff in 2004. He served in the zoo’s commissary/Missouri habitat, as tropical Asia zookeeper, head zookeeper, elephant manager, education ambassador and superintendent of the zoo. Most recently, Thompson has been the interim zoo director following the March 29 retirement of longtime Zoo Director Mike Crocker, who had trained Thompson to succeed him.
“It really is an honor to be named the next zoo director,” Thompson said. “The future is bright at the zoo, with the traditions that Mike Crocker left in his 48-year tenure, and with our Park Board and Friends of the Zoo leadership we have set in place. Most importantly, the staff at the zoo has been family to me for the last 20 years, and I’m excited to continue my career with them here at Dickerson Park Zoo.”
Jim Fisher, Interim Director of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, said Thompson’s leadership and experience helped him earn the position.
“Jackson’s passion for wildlife conservation and education, coupled with his commitment to Dickerson Park Zoo and its staff, will serve the community well in his new role,” Fisher said.
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While Dickerson Park Zoo is a division of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, zoo operations, programming, funding, member and donor development and even some staff jobs are coordinated with the nonprofit Friends of the Zoo (FOZ).
“The Friends of the Zoo staff and board and I are thrilled to have Jackson officially take on the role of Zoo Director/Assistant Director of Parks,” said Allyson Tuckness, Executive Director of FOZ. “He is an integral part of the relationship between FOZ and the Parks department. His passion for Dickerson Park Zoo, specifically, is shown through his years of work in all areas of the park. I personally look forward to continuing to work alongside him as we make the zoo even better.”
Thompson began working for Friends of the Zoo while he was in college, before earning a bachelor’s degree from Evangel University in 2006. After graduation, he became a fulltime zoo employee.
Thompson is active in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), through which Dickerson Park Zoo has held accreditation since 1988. He is a member of the Zoo Conservation Outreach Group board and a past member of the national and local chapters of the American Association of Zookeepers.
Career highlights include furthering the zoo’s focus on animal training, enrichment and welfare, taking part in a two-year elephant welfare study with AZA, helping to start Keeper Chats and Elephant Baths education, reestablishing the ZooCrew teen intern program, and chairing the Diversity Equity Accessible and Inclusion committee at the Dickerson Park Zoo.
Thompson said the zoo is also at the center of his family.
“My wife, Tallie, and I first met at Dickerson Park Zoo,” he said. “We share the same interest in wildlife and wild places, and she is my biggest supporter. And we have three children who would like to spend every day either at the zoo or in the wilderness.”
