“Oklahoma?”
That was Tony Moore’s first thought when he was approached about a job opportunity at A Gathering Place for Tulsa.
At the time, Moore was chief operating officer at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. He’d lived in Florida for 30 years, and he was born and spent his early childhood in Jamaica.
Tulsa was not on his radar.
Now it’s home. The George Kaiser Family Foundation announced Sunday that it has hired Moore to run A Gathering Place and Guthrie Green, another GKFF initiative.
Phase 1 A Gathering Place is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2017. The 66.5-acre project will stretch from approximately the 2700 block of Riverside Drive to 31st Street on the east side of the street and the 2700 block to 34th Street along the west side of Riverside Drive.
The $350 million park is being built by the foundation with financial assistance from private and corporate donors. The Kaiser Foundation is contributing $200 million to the park, including $50 million for land.
Moore will be in charge of all operations at A Gathering Place and Guthrie Green. It’s a position he’s used to, although he acknowledges he’s never operated a venue quite like A Gathering Place.
In addition to his work a Lowry Park Zoo, Moore has held management positions at SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Universal Studios. He has experience in all aspects of the business, from park operations to food and beverage services to marketing.
Moore is married to Gillian Moore. They have two children, Kai, 6; and Casilo, 2.
