SALISBURY, Md. - Salisbury Zoo director Leonora Dillon, who has been working at the zoo for almost 15 years, has decided to retire.
The City of Salisbury says that Dillon joined in 2008 at the education curator after working at the EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, South Carolina. She selected as the director of the Salisbury Zoo in 2020.
“When Leonora took the zoo director position, she was tasked with reorganizing a department that needed to be updated and revitalized. And she did a fantastic job combining her skills in management, curation and education,” said Mayor Jack Heath. “She excelled at the task, bringing our event and educational offerings at the zoo to another level, and we will miss her dearly.”
During her time as the education curator, she began the Not-so-Scary Halloween Happening event, which has since become one of the Zoo's most popular events. She also partnered with the Salisbury University psychology department to make sure appropriate accommodations were in place so that inclusive programming was offered at the Salisbury Zoo.
“It’s been a great 15 years at the Salisbury Zoo,” Dillon said. “I’ll miss working with everyone here and being able to walk out and see so many people that I’ve gotten to know over the years. Of course, I’ll also miss the animals I’ve connected with.”
During her time as director, she hired a full-time veterinary team, which includes Dr. Tameeka Williams and Veterinary Technician Ally Wright. The city says that Dillon has Animal Welfare as a focus during her time as director, and the veterinary lets the zoo have preventative care for the animals.
“Leonora has been such a dedicated member of our team, and the Salisbury Zoo has made great strides under her leadership,” said Allen Swiger, director of the City’s Arts, Business and Culture Department. “We will certainly miss her, but we wish her the best.”
The city says that Dillon is retiring effective June 30, and will move to South Carolina to be closer to her family.
The city will be conducting a national search for the next director of the zoo, the job description for which is posted at Salisbury.md/careers.
