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CONTACT:
     Laurey Peat
     Laurey Peat + Assoc.
     214/871.8787

Tyler, Texas native Hayes Caldwell began working part-time at the Caldwell Zoo when he was 13 years old. Founded in 1937 by his uncle, businessman and philanthropist D.K. Caldwell, the zoo began as a backyard menagerie established to entertain children attending the Caldwell preschool. Today, true to D.K. Caldwell's vision and under Hayes Caldwell's guidance, the Caldwell Zoo has become one of the finest small zoos in the country with 2,000 animals representing 250 different species.

Working closely with his uncle throughout high school, Hayes pursued his unwavering interest in animals at Texas Tech University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Park Administration in 1972. After graduation, he returned to work as Assistant Director of the Caldwell Zoo and was promoted to Executive Director in 1976, not long before his uncle's death in 1977.

Hayes led the zoo's transformation with development of a 50-acre master plan and aggressive building program that began in the late 1970s and continued throughout the 1980s. In 1999, the master plan was extensively updated to address the zoo's continued growth and its concentration on predator-prey exhibits representing East African, North American and South American regions.

Under Hayes' leadership, the Caldwell Zoo has become an active member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. With his guidance, the Caldwell Zoo promotes education and research in conservation issues and participates in breeding programs including endangered and other species. A leader in the AZA, Hayes has worked on numerous committees and has received five Outstanding Service Awards. He served on the AZA Board of Directors from 1995 through 1998. He is also a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Hayes is a member of the Board Directors and Executive Committee of the Caldwell Foundation, the primary funder of the Caldwell Zoo. He lives on a ranch near Tyler, TX where he and his wife, Michele, raise cattle and horses. Hayes is member of the American Brahman Breeders Association. He has two sons, Brenton and Landon.