At the top of an animal kingdom – Lindsay Hutchison, Tulsa Zoo President/CEO

Welcome to Tulsa Talks presented by Tulsa Regional Chamber. I’m your host Tim Landes.  

My guest on this episode has what I believe is one of the coolest jobs in the city. Lindsay Hutchison is Tulsa Zoo’s president and CEO. It’s a position she’s held for just under a year, but she’s worked for the zoo since 2005, and been hanging around the place her whole life.  

Before being the leader of Tulsa’s most diverse animal kingdom, Lindsay served as Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Engagement for five years starting in 2015. A decade earlier she began as a development coordinator.  

Throughout her career she established herself as a leader in fundraising, guest relations and external engagement. She oversaw fundraising for the amazing Lost Kingdom exhibit that includes a bridge that allows the Malayan tigers to walk over people and an indoor/outdoor space for the snow leopards to play. Most recently they opened the Helmerich playground, which was originally slated to be played on in the summer of 2020, but there was COVID-19. 

Lindsay talks about how they responded to the pandemic by operating safely, and how zoo operations are returning back to normal for the most part, but advanced tickets are still required for now. Masks are optional.  

The Zoo has changed a lot since she started working there. We discuss the changes she’s been a part of and how they’re fundraising for more new exhibits to house even more animals as part of the zoo’s master plan. Speaking of fundraisers, we talk about Waltz on the Wild Side moving to the fall and how this year’s theme will hopefully result in some guests doing their best Crockett and Tubbs impersonations. 

I’ve known Lindsay for nearly a decade and have always admired her passion for the animals and staff that call Tulsa Zoo home. It was great to catch up with her in studio on June 4. As you’ll hear in this conversation, she really loves her job and our zoo and city is better because of it.  

Following my conversation with Lindsay, I’ll share the new single from Pilgrim. More on that later.  

Let’s get this going.  

This is Tulsa Talks with Lindsay Hutchison. 

I've been watching Beau Roberson play songs for audiences going back to 2007 when I spent many late nights on the second floor of McNellies and inside Colony listening to him and his friends play music.  

Beau is the frontman and guitarist for Pilgrim, which dropped the new single “Pray for You” last week from the forthcoming Horton Records release “No Offense, Nevermind, Sorry” out June 25. It can be preordered at HortonRecords.Bandcamp.com.  

About the song, Beau told Vents Magazine, which premiered the single on June 11:  

“First off, it’s not about religion!  It’s about a father who would go so far as to pray for his daughter’s confidence, mental health, and overall safety, even though he’s not a fan of praying.” 

This is a good one. I’m excited to hear the rest of the album, but in the meantime, here’s Pilgrim with “Pray for You.”