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TYLER \u2013 Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Caldwell Zoo board of directors has announced a new leader for Tyler\u2019s biggest zoo.<\/p>\nTYLER \u2013 Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Caldwell Zoo board of directors has announced a new leader for Tyler\u2019s biggest zoo.<\/p>\n
Scott Maddox has served as the zoo\u2019s chief operating officer for the past five years and will now serve as Caldwell Zoo\u2019s president and CEO. Former mayor of Tyler and chairman of the zoo\u2019s board, Kevin Eltife explained why Maddox is right for the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cScott was the obvious choice to assume this position. His vast experience with Caldwell Zoo and his natural leadership are unmatched. The Maddox family has a history of caring and giving back to our community,\u201d Eltife said in a press release. \u201cIn his new role, Scott will continue to give back to this community and make sure that Caldwell Zoo is positioned to provide an incredible experience for families to visit and enjoy for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Caldwell Zoo, Maddox served on their staff as an animal keeper, animal supervisor, area supervisor, curator and assistant director before he was named chief operating officer.<\/p>\n
Director Emeritus of Caldwell Zoo and longtime executive director, Hayes Caldwell, commented on Maddox\u2019s dedication to the zoo.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2018ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Scott Maddox for over 37 years. His length of service is a testament to his dedication and care for the Zoo and the people who work there,\u201d Caldwell said. \u201cHis ability to juggle a great diversity of tasks has been a key component of the Zoo\u2019s success. In his new role as President\/CEO, I am sincerely looking forward to seeing him take the Zoo that he loves into an even brighter future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maddox shared the following statement giving his perspective on his announcement as the zoo\u2019s new leader:<\/p>\n
\u201cI have seen first-hand, for over three decades, the level of care and commitment poured into the zoo by Hayes Caldwell. For 20+ years, I have worked with Harriet McArthur and other members of The Caldwell Foundation, who have also shown that the zoo is truly a labor of love. When you couple that with the fact that it all began in the backyard of D.K. and Lottie Caldwell about 75 years ago, you\u2019re faced with a humbling reality- This isn\u2019t just a job. I have been entrusted to carry on a legacy. This is a new chapter in the history of Caldwell Zoo, as we cross a new threshold and carry the legacy forward. With the formation of Caldwell Zoo, Inc., the support of an amazing group of founding board members, and the continued support of the Caldwell Foundation, we are inviting the community to partner with us in writing the next chapters in the story of Caldwell Zoo. Most of my time at the Zoo has been spent behind the scenes, involved in the daily operations. Throughout all my roles at the Zoo, I\u2019ve been continually motivated by smiles, laughter and looks of wonder when \u201ckids\u201d of all ages experience something new with an animal. Now, I look forward to exploring fun and exciting possibilities for the future that will keep the fun alive and continue to inspire appreciation and a sense of ownership in the stewardship of God\u2019s amazing creation.\u201d
\n Scott Maddox<\/p><\/blockquote>\nTo learn more about the zoo\u2019s future, visit Caldwell Zoo online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TYLER \u2013 Our news partner KETK is reporting that the Caldwell Zoo board of directors has announced a new leader for Tyler\u2019s biggest zoo. Scott Maddox has served as the zoo\u2019s chief operating officer for the past five years and will now serve as Caldwell Zoo\u2019s president and CEO. Former mayor of Tyler and chairman … Continue reading Caldwell Zoo announces new president, CEO<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1420010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/wp-content\/media\/2025\/06\/2025-06-17_032453-201x200.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1419031","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news-archive-archives"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-08 23:37:54","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/wp-content\/media\/2025\/06\/2025-06-17_032453-201x200.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1419031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1419031"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1419031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1420150,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1419031\/revisions\/1420150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1420010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1419031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1419031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1419031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}