Stringfellow is only the third executive to oversee the zoo in its 43-year history. The Columbia resident earned his B.S. in business administration at Winthrop.
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Thomas Stringfellow '81 will lead Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, South Carolina, as the zoo's new president and CEO.
Stringfellow, who has served as interim president since June, is only the third executive to oversee the zoo in its 43-year history. He began his career at Riverbanks in 2002
as director of marketing and became the zoo's chief operating officer in 2011.
The Columbia resident said that he is excited to "build upon Riverbanks' past successes
and continue to grow the zoo as a global leader in conservation, education, science
and recreation."
Stringfellow earned his B.S. in business administration at Winthrop, continuing a family tradition started by his mother, Sara C. Stringfellow
'44, '73 of Rock Hill. She earned a B.A. in English and a M.A.T. in library science at Winthrop.
Mary Howard, chair of Riverbanks Park Commission, noted that Stringfellow brings "extensive
knowledge and experience" after 25 years in the zoo and attractions industries. She
added that Stringfellow will "ensure Riverbanks' continued growth, financial success
and leadership in the field of conservation."
Prior to his leadership roles at the zoo, Stringfellow directed the sales and marketing
efforts at various theme parks, including Paramount Parks' Six Flags Over Georgia
and Six Flags Whitewater Park, both in Atlanta, and American Adventures Family Entertainment
Center and Six Flags Great Escape and Water Park in upstate New York.
Stringfellow is an active member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.
For more information, contact Meredith Carter, communications coordinator, at carterm@winthrop.edu
or 803/323-2236.
