EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Joe Montisano is no longer the director of the El Paso Zoo.
A spokesperson for The City of El Paso confirmed Thursday evening with a written statement that reads:
We can confirm that Joe Montisano is no longer with the City of El Paso. We want to take this opportunity to wish Mr. Montisano the best in his future endeavors.To ensure continuity of service, Assistant Director Gary Lunsford will serve as the interim director.As with all director positions, the position for the zoo will be open for recruitment.
RELATED: El Paso Zoo Director Joe Montisano placed on temporary administrative leave by the city
The news comes after Montisano had been placed on administrative leave by the City of El Paso.
On Oct. 6, KFOX14/CBS4 had also reported that Montisano had received a 74.81% score on his 2024 performance evaluation and had been assigned an executive coach to address leadership issues and inappropriate conduct.
The review follows months of controversy, including the zoo’s split with the El Paso Zoological Society and the loss of its AZA accreditation.
RELATED: Evaluation reveals leadership gaps for El Paso Zoo director, Montisano remains on leave
In his written response to the evaluation, Montisano acknowledged that the year was “not a banner year for the zoo” and accepted full responsibility for the loss of accreditation.
He disputed parts of the evaluation, stating that the “multiple HR investigations” referred to one individual and objected to the mention of a sexual harassment lawsuit, which he said does not name him as a focus and is still pending.
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