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ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO ANNOUNCES THE HIRING

OF FIRST CERTIFIED ZOO DIRECTOR FOR TURTLE BACK ZOO

Professional to Return to His New Jersey Roots to Help

Essex County Earn National Accreditation

Newark , NJ - Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. announced on Tuesday, February 24th that Dr. Jeremy D. Goodman of South Bend , Indiana , has been hired as the Director of Essex County's Turtle Back Zoo. He is the first certified Zoo Director at Turtle Back Zoo in its 40-year history. A native New Jerseyan, Goodman previously served as the Assistant Director and Veterinarian at Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend , Indiana .

  "As Freeholder President, I witnessed the future of Turtle Back Zoo fall into jeopardy. I worked with the Zoological Society and the Docents and guaranteed that this important educational facility would not be closed," DiVincenzo said. "We improved the entranceway, added many new exhibits and made it a more inviting place to visit. We constantly have been upgrading Turtle Back Zoo, and this year we will be building a new animal hospital, upgrading the fencing around our exhibits and starting work for a new black bear exhibit," he noted.

  "Jeremy Goodman's experience with AZA as a member and site inspector will help us accomplish what is necessary to achieve national accreditation and enable us to take Turtle Back Zoo to another level," the County Executive added.

  DiVincenzo said Dr. Goodman will be responsible for overseeing the construction of a $1.6 million state-of-the-art animal hospital and a new black bear exhibit that is being created in cooperation with the Zoological Society of New Jersey. Other improvement projects occurring at the Zoo are the installation of new fencing around animal exhibits and the construction of a new parking deck that will free up more spaces for visitors to the Zoo.

  "I want to thank the County Executive for giving me this opportunity," Goodman said. "There is a great deal of activity occurring at Turtle Back Zoo and it is evident how much the zoo is loved and appreciated by the staff, volunteers and general public," he added.

  "Turtle Back Zoo has a great deal of potential to grow and expand," the Director noted. "The strong base of support for the Zoo will be helpful as we build on what has been achieved in the past," he added.

  While serving as Freeholder President, DiVincenzo lobbied the previous administration to hire a full-time, qualified Zoo Director. He also praised the dedication and hard work of the professional staff at the Zoo and the volunteers from the Zoological Society and Docents who kept the facility operating.

  "Turtle Back Zoo would not have survived without the extraordinary efforts of our employees at the Zoo and the numerous volunteers who donate their time," DiVincenzo said. "They have provided the strong foundation that we have been building on for the last several years," he added.

  While at Potawatomi Zoo, Goodman supervised a staff of about 30, designed and monitored the construction of a new $1.1 million animal hospital, assisted in grants writing and fund-raising projects, designed and implemented a preventative medicine program to meet AZA standards, diagnosed and treated the 500 animals at the zoo, and helped design a new master plan for the zoo.

  He previously worked in private practice as a veterinarian in New Jersey and New York , served as a volunteer veterinarian for the Raptor Trust and Bergen County Zoo. He has been a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) since 1992, the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians since 1997, American Veterinary Medical Association since 1992 and the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine since 1998. He has been an AZA Accreditation Inspector since 2001.

  He graduated from Tufts University Veterinary School with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree in 1996 and from Rutgers University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Animal Science in 1992. He was raised in Parsippany and now resides in West Orange .

  Turtle Back Zoo celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2003. It is located at 560 Northfield Avenue in West Orange . Winter hours are Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Extended spring hours begin in April.