Bob Monroe – A real “zoo lifer”!
I
f Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium Catering Manager Bob Monroe
were to place a personal ad, it would probably read like this:
Hard-working college-educated guy who’s a sports fanatic
and zoo lifer. Pretty easy to get along with, intelligent and
quick thinking, yet stubborn. Doesn’t eat any veggies ―
ever . . .
Bob is passionate about his family and friends as
well as his career.
But there is more to Bob than can be written in a personal ad.
He started working at the Pittsburgh Zoo
at the age of 14 when his seventh grade
teacher left teaching to become General
Manager of Operations at the Zoo, and she
then recruited him. This was a few years
before SSA assumed operations of guest
services. One of his first jobs involved selling drink sippers from a cart on a patio –
without a cash register. He had to do the
math in his head.
Bob continued to work at the Zoo throughout high school and during college vacations. While working at the Zoo during his
senior year of college, he had a discussion
with SSA Vice President Tim Brantley. Tim
asked Bob what his plans were after
graduation. Bob replied “to work for SSA
the rest of my life.” His wish was granted.
He graduated with an accounting degree
from the University of Dayton in Ohio,
which is one of the ten largest Catholic
Uncle Bob is starting early in sharing his love of
sports with future Cleveland Indians fans. He recently
attended a game with his (left to right) nephew Alex,
sister Heidi, niece Sarah, and friend Tina.
The Monroe siblings: (left to right) John, age 3; Heidi,
age 7½, Bob, age 6 and Elizabeth, age 10 months.
schools in the United States. Bob first majored in mechanical engineering, but
quickly decided that that course of study
was not for him. Shortly after graduation,
he packed up his life and moved to Colorado Springs to be the Food and Beverage
Manager at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
After several months, he transferred to the
Denver Zoo where he became the Assistant Food and Beverage Manager. In
2000, Bob returned home. “I loved it out
there in Colorado, the weather is incredible, but it was time to move closer to family,” he said.
Bob’s family
Bob was born and raised in the Pittsburgh
area. At one point, he lived across the
street from the Zoo until he moved to the
suburbs at age six. His mother still lives in
Pittsburgh as well as some of his siblings,
his father died of cancer in 2002.
His older sister, Heidi, is married with three
children; and she lives in Cleveland. His
younger brother, John, lives in Pittsburgh
and works as the HR Manager for SSA, also
at the Pittsburgh Zoo. His younger sister,
Liz, is an elementary school teacher. Interestingly, his brothers and sisters also
worked at the Pittsburgh Zoo at one time
or another.
Bob shared that his hero is his parents. “I
realize how much they sacrificed in raising
four children who were born in a six-year
span. We all attended Catholic schools.
While our family vacations might not have
included trips to Disney World, my parents
made sure we did something as a family.
“Knowing that my parents did without,
makes me appreciate them so much more,”
he said. One of his proudest accomplishments involves financially helping his
mother after she had a kidney transplant
and consequently developed long-term
Bob answers 3 questions
1. If you could have lunch with anyone (from
past to present) who would it be?
I would want to have lunch with Teddy Roosevelt,
who was the twenty-sixth President of the United
States. He was also a professional historian,
naturalist, explorer, hunter, author and soldier. He
is most famous for his energy, his vast range of interests and achievements and his "maverick" personality.
2. What would you be doing if you weren’t working for SSA?
I would like to be a high school teacher. I do enjoy
teaching. I could teach as well as coach sports, and
with summers off, I could spend my days on the golf
course. Finally, teachers have an excellent pension
plan.
3. If you were recuperating in a hospital, who
would you want in the bed next to you – excluding relatives?
If I was in the hospital, I’d probably be in pain, so I
would pick someone to make me laugh, such as
comedians George Carlin or Robin Williams.
Bob described himself as a normal child. He attended
a local Catholic high school and played all the sports
while getting good grades. (Note: Read the graphic
on his T-shirt.)
health problems. As the eldest male in the
family, he said he accepted the responsibility to help his mother. “I was proud to be
able to give back to my mother,” he said.
Bob shared that the smartest thing he has
done was to finish school, then staying on
working with SSA. He said he plans to retire from working at the Pittsburgh Zoo.
But he quickly added never say never. He
said the Zoo is a fun place to work as the
visitors are usually in a good mood and
that adds to the enjoyment. “I enjoy the
atmosphere we have at the Zoo; it feels
like an extended family.” Bob estimates
that 80% of the current SSA management
at Pittsburgh has worked at the Zoo together during their high school and college
years. He likes this culture where a hardworking kid has a future. “It’s a culture I
appreciate,” he added.
When Bob has free time from work, he enjoys watching sporting events, especially
basketball. He has season tickets to watch
the University of Pittsburgh basketball
team. Since 2001, Pitt has achieved seven
straight NCAA tournament appearances,
four Sweet Sixteen appearances, three Big
East regular season championships, two
Big East Tournament Championships and
six Big East Tournament Championship
game appearances.
To follow this competitive Pittsburg team,
he and a group of friends travel to New
York City each spring to watch the Big
East Basketball Tournament, which is
played at Madison Square Gardens.
He considers March Madness or the NCAA
Men’s Division I Basketball Championship a
holiday. During this tournament, he takes
time off work and settles in for a marathon
session at a local sports bar. “I watch more
than 18 hours of basketball during a twoday period. My friends and I usually witness three waitress shift changes,” he said.
The SSA culture appeals to Bob, who plans to work for
SSA until he retires. Like many employers, SSA hosts
employee parties where employees have a chance to
interact with associates on an informal basis. (Note: Bob
said this fun-filled party was held the night before his first
day of college.)
Bob also enjoys football, especially the
Pittsburgh Steelers, one of three teams
that have won the Super Bowl five times.
When it’s warm, Bob likes to join a group
of friends twice a week to bike around the
city even though it can be challenging with
the steep slopes of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods. Only Seattle and San Francisco
have more extreme city terrain.
While working at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Bob and
Alex Howard, a former Pittsburgh Zoo SSA employee,
conquered Pikes Peak, a 13,780 foot peak, which serves
as a visible landmark in Colorado.
But his social life doesn’t always revolve
around sports. He also enjoys spending
time with friends and family over a few
cocktails, telling a few stories and playing
cards. Bob does wish he could sing. “I
love music, but I have a poor singing voice.
I would like to be good enough to sing
karaoke,” he said.
When he’s not with his friends, he’s usually
on-line. Bob claims he uses e-mail constantly ― not only for work, but for fun and
to relax. He uses the Internet to keep in
touch with family and friends as well as
play fantasy football and baseball. “My
most valued possession is my computer as
the world is revolving through communication electronically, and we need to be actively involved with this trend,” he said.
Bob’s favorite toy as child was the electronic football
game featuring the Pittsburg Steelers and Los Angeles
Rams players. Perhaps this toy laid the foundation for
his love of sports.
Bob enjoys watching Lost, an Emmy and
Golden Globe award-winning American serial drama television series. It follows the
lives of plane crash survivors living on a
tropical island. He added that he also
watches Sports Center every night as it replays the day's scores and highlights from
major sporting events, along with commentary, previews and feature stories.
When asked the question if he could hold
any political office, which office would that
be? Bob replied he would want to be the
ambassador to either Ireland or England.
“It’s a low-stress job, you can do it forever.
You don’t have to worry about finding a job
every two or fours years,” he said. And, he
laughingly added that he always wanted to
visit Europe. However, one day Bob does
plan to take a tour of Europe. He wants to
rent a car and just go. He wants to move at
his own pace while enjoying great food and
the scenery. Hopefully, he won’t fall in love
with Europe and stay ― never to return to his
zoo career.
Bob’s Favorites . . .
Food
Any kind of beef or steak. “When I worked in Colorado, I
learned what a good steak tastes like.”
Book
Band of Brothers, a book about American men who are
in their 19’s and early 20's who volunteer to be paratroopers and end up becoming a "band of brothers" due
to what they are put through fighting World War II together.
Entertainer
Grunge bands, including Pearl Jam
Movie
A Bridge Too Far, a 1977 epic war film, which tells the
story of the Allied attempt to break through German lines
and seize several bridges.
Favorite Color
Green
Magazines
EPSN The Magazine, Time and Bicycling
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo SSA staff team build as they paddle down a white-water river in Colorado. When
asked about the craziest thing that he has done, Bob replied, “I don’t do anything crazy. I let other people
jump off the bridge first.”