It’s all about the people for
Denver Zoo GM Tony Smith . . .
A
s the General Manager
at the Denver Zoo, Tony
Smith keeps busy, but he
always makes time to
talk with staff and guests – after all,
customer service is an integral part
of his job.
It’s probably Tony’s ability to enjoy life and its interactions with
people that make him passionate about whatever he commits
to. Now, it’s all about his employees. “We have the ability to
impact the lives of so many kids,” he said, “When you put
Tony shared that he and his girlfriend, Nicole, are
now shopping for wedding rings. But a date has
not been selected. The couple actually met when both were working at
the Cincinnati Zoo as teenagers. (He
was 18; she was 16). They started
dating, then stopped. They reunited
several years later. When Tony
moved to Denver in January 2012, Nicole came, too.
She currently works at Kaiser Permanente.
When Tony isn’t working, he likes to stretch out on
his couch and watch a good football
game – preferably one featuring the
Cincinnati Bengals. He also likes to take
his soon-to-be fiancée, Nicole, to dinner
or a jazz club.
groups of kids together, they’re bound to do funny things, and
it’s a good time.”
With his infectious laugh and quick smile, it’s no wonder that
Tony’s friends and family describe him as funny, determined
One of Tony’s favorite memories about his childhood was attending a Cincinnati Reds’
baseball game with his father. He remembers eating hot dogs, pretzels and
cookies until his stomach hurt. But he
doesn’t remember who won the game!
and hard-working. He gets his work ethic from his father. Tony
explained that his dad was his mentor. “When you’re a kid, you
want to grow up and be like your dad,” he said, “and my dad is
very ethical.”
His first paid job was working at the Cincinnati Zoo selling hot
Even though Tony has been to Jamaica, he wants to
return. He enjoyed the sights,
sounds and music of the Caribbean island, along with the fact
that he couldn’t get on the Internet and do any work. He had to
have fun!
dogs. Even as a teenager, Tony knew he had found his niche in
the entertainment customer service industry. He likes the opportunity to meet so many people. Except for a short stint
working for a minority-owned food service business, Tony has
always worked in the zoo industry. Tony joined the SSA family
in 2010.
His family still lives in the Cincinnati area. His parents are retired and are both active volunteers in the community. He has
a sister and two adult-age nieces.
Tony graduated from the University of Cincinnati. He combined
the school’s educational classroom excellence with his realworld experience and earned a degree in marketing.
While Tony doesn’t volunteer for other organizations, he was
quick to point out that he thought we all probably do volunteer
work in our jobs by trying to coach and mentor the young people that come to work with us on a daily basis. He added, “It’s
just smart to listen, especially to kids as they have a lot to say.”
Tony never leaves work far behind as he’s always thinking
about how to improve sales and to motivate staff.
Tony shared that one thing that’s always on his mind is “carts,”
and no, he doesn’t mean golf carts, but culinary and retail carts.
He said that carts are incremental sales drivers and can offer
guests more points of service. He’s always planning on how
and where to add carts to the zoo’s operation.
In a few short months, Tony has
become a fan of the greatest sport
on dirt: rodeo! He’s particularly fond
of the mutton busting competition
for children, ages five – seven-years
-old, who clings to the back of a
thickly coated lamb as long as they
can. It’s said that when Tony couldn’t be found in the dining/kitchen area during the
National Western Stock Show, he could be found in
the rodeo arena watching the cowboys and cowgirls
in action!
Tony claims that it would be impossible for him to give up cake and
cookies. And his favorite food is hamburgers!
Tony is currently reading 5280,
Denver’s city magazine that derives its name from Denver's elevation of 5,280 feet above sea
level. The monthly publication
covers dining, entertainment and
special events, as well as local
and regional politics.
One of Tony's favorite TV shows is The Andy Griffith Show. It features the
widowed sheriff of the
fictional small community
of Mayberry, North Carolina. His life is complicated by an inept, but
well-meaning deputy,
Barney Fife , a spinster
aunt and housekeeper,
Aunt Bee and a young son, Opie. It has been
named one of the best television comedies ever
produced.