To say that Jim Vlna (pronounced VUL-nuh) has spent his life in the zoo is really no exaggeration. Vlna has just retired as director of the Knoxville Zoo after almost 22 years. Prior to that, he spent 30 years with the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, starting work there when he was 13 years old. WUOT's Morning Edition host Chrissy Keuper speaks with Vlna about some of the changes he’s seen in zoological parks over the years, including some fairly recent adjustments in philosophy.
Chrissy served as WUOT's News Director and host of monthly public affairs talk show Dialogue from late 2021 to early 2023. Her first job with the station was as weekend student announcer while earning her bachelor's in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee. She had previously been the station's local host for NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered news programs; occasionally filled in as host for WUOT's Morning and Afternoon Concerts; and won multiple awards for her interviews, feature stories, and Dialogue.