Honoring our Staff on Veterans Day
We salute all retired and active military who have served our country, including our very own Houston Zoo staff. We’re proud to have Veteran staff on our team, like Theron Mathis, Grounds and Housekeeping Manager and Kafai Tse, Network and Systems Administrator.
READ MORE ABOUT THEIR SERVICE:
What is your job role and how long have you worked at the Zoo?
I am the Manager of the Grounds & Housekeeping team. I’ve been here for 1 year and 2 months.
Tell us about your time in service.
I was in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers for 14.5 years, and my highest rank was Sergeant First Class E-7. I am very proud to say that I contributed to protecting the freedoms of this nation. I first entered the service in 1979 and exited in 1992. My duties included building roads, bridges, dining facilities, recreation facilities, and computer centers around the world. My favorite duty station was in Athens, Greece.
Would you like to share any major accomplishments?
In 1989 the United States sent a gift for bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan. That gift was an American flag that had been dipped into the Atlantic Ocean and hand carried across the United States and dipped in the Pacific Ocean. It was then folded and place in a sealed glass container and shipped to the Japanese government and presented in a special ceremony. I was one of the soldiers who hand carried it across the United States.
What do you love the most about your job?
I enjoy actively helping to save animals in the wild.
Meet Kafai:
What is your job role and how long have you worked at the Zoo?
I have worked in the Zoo’s IT department as the Network and Systems Administrator for 8 years. I used to be a vendor for the Zoo and ended up joining the team.
Tell us about your time in service.
I served as a Specialist in the U.S. Army for 4 years. I am proud that I served, protected, and was deployed for my country.
In the first half of my life, I moved around from place to place. I was born in Hong Kong, and immigrated to the U.S. with my parents in 1997. I grew up and earned my college degree in New York. I experienced the 9/11 tragedy in person, and it changed my mindset for our country. I joined the U.S. Army in New York and was stationed in Hawaii, before being deployed to Iraq for 1 year. Now I am a veteran and currently settled down in Houston.
Would you like to share any major accomplishments?
I was a Distinguished Honor Graduate from Fort Gordon Army Signal School. During my time in service, I was also recognized as “Hero of the Week” while deployed to support Operation Iraqi Freedom due to outstanding IT knowledge.
What do you love the most about your job?
Everyday at the Zoo is fun and challenging!
