Brevard Zoo Celebrates the Legacy of its Founding Members through a New Award Named in Their Honor

Here’s some news from our friends at Brevard Zoo:

MELBOURNE, Fla., July 31, 2023—This year at Brevard Zoo’s annual fundraising gala, Safari Under the Stars, Jim Beadle was announced as the inaugural Swann Award recipient.

The Swann Award was established to recognize those who have gone above and beyond what anyone could expect from a volunteer while embodying an overall spirit of giving through contributions of time, leadership and talent in support of Brevard Zoo.

This award was named in honor of Jim and Jonnie Swann, two of the original Brevard Zoo founders. The Swanns had a vision for what Brevard Zoo could be and their passion for animals, conservation and education helped guide them through their quest to build a “small zoo that does big things.” They believed that the Zoo would be a place of joy and pride and even came up with the idea to have children decorate the bricks that would be used to build the Zoo, bricks that can still be visited and celebrated today. More than 30 years later, the Swanns have continued to volunteer, support and advocate for Brevard Zoo.

“I often think about all the folks that have done so much to create the Zoo and to make it what it is today. It is so fitting for the Zoo to annually recognize people that have gone above and beyond normal service. That the Zoo leadership decided to name their special award after my wife and me is a great compliment,” said Jim Swann.

Award recipients will have demonstrated a commitment to the Zoo that is truly extraordinary. This year’s recipient, Jim Beadle, an Attorney with Spira, Beadle and McGarrell, P.A., has been providing pro bono legal work to Brevard Zoo for more than 37 years. He not only served on the Board of Directors for 12 years, but immediately started on the legal work required to secure initial funding sources for the Zoo such as receiving a percentage from the Tourist Development Tax and the ability to apply for state grants. He provided tremendous help in managing the land acquisition from A. Duda and Sons. Today, Beadle continues to provide his legal expertise as Brevard Zoo looks to build an Aquarium and Conservation Center in Port Canaveral.

The award presented was made from one of the original Brevard Zoo bricks to honor both Beadle’s and the Swanns’ unique contributions toward this community-built organization. Local collage artist with international acclaim, Derek Gores, transformed the brick into its own unique work of art for the celebration.

“This project was quite a thrill, using a literal brick as my canvas honoring one of the Zoo’s metaphorical, foundational bricks. I incorporated snippets of Zoo history, with personal touches of macaws and U of F in there for good measure,” said Gores.

The Swann award will become a new tradition woven into the annual celebrations at the Zoo, honoring exceptional community members who help make Brevard Zoo what it is today.

“Without the Swanns and Jim Beadle, the vision of Brevard Zoo would have never come to fruition. Their passion, creativity, commitment and contributions have been instrumental in helping us become the success we are today,” said Keith Winsten, Chief Executive Officer of Brevard Zoo.

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Brevard Zoo is home to more than 790 animals representing 171 species from all over the world. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, it is a leader in the fields of animal wellness, education and conservation. More information is available at www.brevardzoo.org.