by: Alice
Garcia photos: by Tim
Talley Photography |
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 Chris
Bulla’s day as the NC Zoo’s Director of Public Affairs
begins like anyone else’s--that is if your day includes
lunch with polar bears and afternoon meetings with
elephants as a backdrop. In-between moments catching up
with gazelles and hanging out with monkeys, Chris and
her department are responsible for all of the marketing,
advertising, special event planning and public relations
at the NC Zoo. Their goal, Chris explains, is to
“connect people to wild things and wild places,” all
while maintaining a strong commitment to animal welfare,
conservation and education.
Originally,
Chris didn’t come to the zoo to be in charge of
marketing; instead she came in the same manner as
thousands of others—on a school field trip. She was in
seventh grade and it was her first time to the NC Zoo.
Even before her first visit, Chris had already developed
a passion for animals. Growing up, she and her father
would watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom every Sunday
night. “I watched as Jim Fowler wrestled an anaconda or
chased a pride of lions in his bare feet while Marlin
Perkins narrated,” she recalls. “I remember wishing that
I might someday have an impact on people’s love and care
of exotic wildlife.”
Years after that
initial visit, her opportunity to do so came about
through a college internship in the zoo’s marketing
department. Around this time the zoo was preparing for
the birth of the zoo’s first ever gorilla baby-Kwanza,
and Chris had the privilege of helping to plan the media
and other special events surrounding this rather
momentous occasion. As some may know, gorillas are an
endangered species and zoos, like the one in Asheboro,
are working diligently to try and save these amazing
animals; therefore, this was a very proud moment worth
celebrating. Soon thereafter, Chris accepted her first
permanent position as the newly created Special Events
Coordinator.
Over the next
twenty years, Chris would return to the zoo in different
capacities. During that time she has been able to see
the zoo grow in many ways and to be a part of it. Once,
she even had the opportunity to work with her childhood
hero, Jim Fowler. Mr. Fowler had agreed to come to the
zoo to narrate a walking tour video. “I thought he was
such a rock star!” Chris admits, “The first thing I did
after work was call my dad. How crazy cool is this job,
I want to work here forever.” But some of her most
memorable moments are the ones she sees nearly every
day: school children staring amazed at animals they had
only ever seen in books; grandparents or parents sharing
a magical day with their kids. “As a destination, we
help people understand a bit about the world we share
while they are making memories.”
Chris
accepted her present position as Director of Public
Affairs in 2006; this was also the same year that the
zoo saw a 10-year high for attendance. “Sharing in that
success was very exciting,” she says. Other recent
changes that her department is responsible for include:
• A redesigned,
more user-friendly website
http://www.nczoo.org
• A special
events calendar with more than 20 annual events designed
to give visitors the ability to engage with zookeepers,
educators and animals
• A newly
formatted visitor guide which, with more than 500 acres
and five miles of pathways, has been designed to give
groups and individuals a better sense of scale
In addition,
there is the new solar picnic facility, which
demonstrates the zoo’s commitment to sustainability, an
essential component in the conservation and preservation
of animals, plants and their environment.
For students,
there is the Asheboro High School Zoo School. This is a
program created as a partnership with AHS for science
minded 10-12th graders. These students actually attend
classes on site and participate in zoo-wide projects.
On May 16, 2009,
the zoo is opening its newest addition to the Forest
Edge exhibit: Acacia Station treetop-level giraffe
feeding. This is an opportunity for zoo visitors, for a
small fee, to feed giraffes and to see their 20” long,
blue-black tongues up close. (Now, if that isn’t a
memorable moment!!)
The past two
decades have brought about a lot of changes for the
North Carolina Zoo as well as for Chris Bulla. The zoo
has expanded its animal collection, its exhibits and its
program offerings, and we all should expect it to
continue to grow. Through it all, the zoo has always
remained true to its mission of recreation, conservation
and education. Even though Chris has seen the zoo
change, and she has seen her role change, one thing
still remains the same—how she feels about it. “I love
that the NC Zoo belongs to the residents of North
Carolina and is such a point of pride for our state.” |
 
photos by Diane Villa, NC Zoo |
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GUILFORD
WOMAN