Left to right holding check is Pat Simmons, director and CEO, North Carolina Zoo; John Ruffin, board chair, NC Zoo Society; Jama Campbell, executive director, SECU Foundation; Cheryl Armstrong, executive director, NC Zoo Society; Bob Brinson, board chair, SECU Foundation; and Smedes York, a campaign cabinet leader, NC Zoo Society. (Source: SECU Foundation).
In the middle of North Carolina is the largest natural habitat zoological park in the world. The North Carolina Zoo, located southeast of Asheboro, draws nearly one million visitors pass through each year to see more than 1,800 animals in habitats on the 500-acre site. Earlier in May, zoo officials received a large gift from the SECU Foundation to make the zoo even bigger and better.
The SECU Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the Raleigh, N.C.-based State Employees' Credit Union ($50.7 billion in assets, 2.7 million members), donated $2 million to the zoo to help fund an expansion and addition of the zoo's new Asia habitat complex.
According to a statement from the SECU Foundation, the money will not only assist with the development of the new habitat, it will also fund virtual and in-person education and outreach programs through the SECU Visitor View Pavilion and Classroom in Asia, which will be "the centerpiece of the new 10-acre complex."
"North Carolina is most fortunate to have a world-class facility that is dedicated to protecting wildlife populations and their living habitats while educating the community about conserving the natural world," Bob Brinson, SECU Foundation board chair, said. "Education is one of the Foundation's core areas for giving, and we are pleased to support the Zoo's expansion project to further enrich experiences for visitors of all ages."
"The NC Zoo Society is honored to have been selected as an SECU Foundation grant recipient. Partnerships like this will help us build the new Asia Habitat expansion and continue our goal of securing a safe and enduring future for the Zoo and its programs," NC Zoo Society Board Chair John Ruffin said.
"Bringing the world's continents to the North Carolina Zoo has always been our goal, and this generous gift brings us closer to our mission and celebrates the uniqueness of the animals and culture of Asia," North Carolina Zoo Director/CEO Pat Simmons said.
Zoo officials said the expansion project is expected to open in 2026.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
