Meet the Zoo Crew!

Dennis and his wife, Marilyn, bought the property in the early 90's in hopes of a peaceful retirement. Their love of animals quickly turned the retirement into an around-the-clock job. Today, he enjoys watching all of his hard work come to fruition with the help of his family and some very loyal team members. His guidance and perseverance play a huge role in our day-to-day operations!

Marilyn is probably the closest real-life version of Snow White you'll find. Her connection to animals is something truly remarkable. Marilyn especially loves taking in and caring for any little babies when they need special attention, and this allows her to create an unbreakable bond. These days, she's most likely running the day-to-day errands, but on busy weekends, you'll still be charmed by her sweet character in the gift shop!

Donavan is the son of Dennis and Marilyn, the owners! He has dedicated the better half of his life to the park, having first started as a Ranch Hand in 2001. Consistently taking on more hats, Donavan has graduated to General Manager and Co-Owner as he takes on each aspect of the business in stride. His dedication to the animals, our patrons and the park's success is a huge factor in who we are today.

Kayli started giving Guided Tours back in 2012, as a mere 14-year-old. Working through summers, weekends and holidays, she graduated with a business degree from Sam Houston State University in the spring of 2020. This allowed her to come back to the park full-time and assist her family with all things ZOO! You'll find Kayli running anything from marketing and social media to mucking stalls or assisting with vet care. On busy holidays or weekends, you may even snag her as your tour guide. 

Logan is THE guy when it comes to any sort of maintenance or animal care. He can operate any sort of equipment or machinery to take on heavy projects, then turn around and be the most tedious and careful with the small jobs. He is dedicated to helping our park grow to the best it can be while providing amazing animal care and creating unique memories for visitors. We couldn't be prouder to have him as our Ranch Hand!

Bill joined the team a few years ago and is truly a jack of all trades! What started out as a lawn maintenance assignment, turned into any and all jobs in between! Mr. Bill is known to be able to fix it all, and we are incredibly thankful for him!

Brande is our one and only housekeepin’ queen! She is one of the most flexible team members, as our bookings are always random. Not only does she do an incredible job, but this chick accomplishes more than most in limited time. She shows up time and time again, always with a smile on her face! We are so thankful for her hard work and lucky to have such a thoughtful and thorough housekeeper on our team. 

Nicole took on all things zoo back in 2016, in fact she is our longest reigning employee that is not bound by blood! Over the years, she's proven her dedication and knowledge by continuing to take on responsibility here at the park. Nicole has no problem going 90mph to make sure all projects are completed, and all animals are tended to. We are so thankful for her and the asset she is to our team!

Olivia knows all the odds and ends of the Exotic Resort Zoo, having grown up at the park and being part of the family. She may be young, but Olivia definitely knows her stuff when it comes to these animals and how to have an incredible experience at the park. She is currently attending cosmetology school per the Scottish Highland's request. LOL! A tour with Olivia will leave you with awesome memories!

Tuesdey is one of the sweetest people to ever join our crew! She is known to receive rave reviews from our visitors thanks to her charming, outgoing and bubbly personality! Tuesdey is consistent and eager, and we are so thankful for her hard work and dedication. We also know that you'd love to take a tour with her as your guide!

Morgan is momma-bear to all! She's got the best eye to notice all the little things, always anticipating an animal, guest or coworker's need. We appreciate her generous and kind soul and are so happy to have her as a member of our team.

Affectionately nicknamed "Dani", Daniela joined the team towards the end of our 2023 Summer season as a fun adventure! Dani is likely the sweetest person you'll meet and takes incredible care of our guests and animals. Not to mention, she is super talented and speaks two languages! We are so pleased to have her with us!

Amanda joined our team in the Fall of 2023 and has proven an incredible asset to our team thus far. She takes on every new skill and task with stride. Staying busy during the week with her full-time job as an AC Dispatcher, she is currently only here on the weekends. But, if we could have ten more Amanda's, we would!

Caylee is one of our favorite college kids! When she is home from ASU, we try and steal her time as much as we can. She is sweet, kind & bubbly. Not to mention, always down for an adventure! You'd be lucky to have Caylee as your Tour Guide over school breaks.

Kenadi is the youngest member of our team, still being in high school. However, Kenadi is active in FFA & 4H so she has known nothing but the life of ag. She is incredibly sweet & knowledgeable, so we know that you'd love her as your guide!

Jay joined us just in time for summer season of 2025, but feels like she's been here for decades. Never afraid to get dirty, Jay is our go-to for all the hard jobs. She's spent majority of her adulthood in the service industry, so she definitely knows how to ensure you have a great time. 

Rose has been with us since May of 2025 and the zoo's gift shop has never been more organized. In between tours, animal care and guest duties, Rose takes pride in keeping our souvenir options in tip-top shape! She moves through each project swiftly and efficiently and she greets each visitor with enthusiasm. We love having this energizer bunny on our crew!

Sierra grew up around exotics and took to our process here in record speed. We've never onboarded an employee faster! She is always happy, yappy and a true joy to be around. You'd love to catch Sierra as your guide, she truly knows her stuff!

Our newest addition, Addi, is the sweetheart of the bunch, always welcoming her coworkers with a sweet hug! She is learning more and more each day, and we are excited to see what she accomplishes here.