CEO salaries
Posted by dgscanlan  |  October 30, 2009 2:56:00 PM

Thank you for speaking up, Bink. I will not renew my support of WCS.

ceo salary is higher than you think!
Posted by bink  |  June 9, 2009 6:43:04 AM

As an employee of WCS right now in June of 2009, I feel the need to inform you that Steve Sanderson is presently compensated at $900,001 per year, including a housing allowance for his Manhattan penthouse, 100% payment of children's college tuition, travel allowance... the list goes on. Even sadder is the number of low- wage earning union employees laid off last month-- 48 individuals-- zoo keepers, maintenance and horticulture employees, etc... the "little people" who make the zoo and aquarium work. Sanderson was asked at a zoo wide "town hall" meeting to take a pay cut and he flat out refused, even though people making less than $50K per annum offered to take a pay cut to save jobs. WCS management refused to sit down with DC-37 Union Reps to find other ways to save money, besides layoffs and shipping animals out... that's right, refused. For those of us who work in the Brooklyn Aquarium and the Bronx Zoo, it's been a very painful and difficult time. Some animal care departments were cut down by as much as 25% of staff, and then told that if productivity lessened under the cuts, exhibit buildings would be closed and beloved animals would be shipped out. Bear in mind also that there's an extensive network of other top management individuals pulling in six figure incomes... Sanderson is the top of the pyramid, but there are literally dozens of other "top tier" managers, if not more, that increase the % of $$ going to adminstrative salaries quite a bit. There's no question that WCS does some wonderful things for wildlife conservation in the field, but there simply has to be a limit on salaries here at home... and there isn't. As far as dk's comment re:competitive salaries for CEO's of charities... take a look at salaries of equivelant positions in ZOOS, not just any charity... you'll find that Sanderson is getting at least 500K MORE than anyone in San Diego, Brookfield, Zoo Atlanta, or any of the other large Conservation Parks. Sorry, it just doesn't add up!

compensation
Posted by dk  |  March 24, 2009 5:46:40 AM

If you look at the % of expenses this CEO makes-0.38% vs. 1.13% at African Wildlife Foundation it's much lower. WCS is a large and complex organization that includes the Bronx Zoo. I suggest you read "Uncharitable" by Dan Pallotta that talks about paying CEOs at charities competitive salaries to attract the best people. Maybe someone makes $600,000, but if their charity is very successful and raises a lot more money than an unfocused, less successful organization isn't it worth it? I think you have to investigate beyond a CEO's salary to evaluate a charity.

CEO pay
Posted by k  |  February 11, 2009 6:45:59 AM

If I could pay someone a cent in every three dollars I took home to have personal finances as good as this, you bet I would!

compensation
Posted by Chansonetta  |  November 3, 2008 7:03:56 AM

Compare this organization to African Wildlife Foundation and compare executive compensation. I agree with previous comment, $600,000 is too much!

CEO salaries
Posted by ilovemydogs  |  March 20, 2008 5:37:31 AM

I realize CEO's of large organizations should receive adequate compensation, but over $600,000.00! It would take me 13 years to gross that money! It appears my donations are keeping Wildlife Conservation society administrators in a style that I can only dream of ever having. I feel too much money is being paid for an exorbitant salary instead of going into the programs to which I believed I was giving.