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Host Coach Tim Neiman welcomes Matt Provence — Chief Operating Officer of the Lehigh Valley Zoo, former voice of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs for twelve seasons, and one of the most recognizable personalities in Lehigh Valley sports — to this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, brought to you by Bluebook Sports and the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce — visit lehighvalleychamber.org to discover the power of connection and community on every main street.
Matt's story is one of the most unexpected and entertaining career pivots the show has ever featured — from dreaming of a Major League broadcasting chair, to calling games at spring training with the Phillies, to chasing a startup football league all the way to San Diego, to stumbling across a zoo COO job posting on Indeed and never looking back. He and Coach Neiman dig into what running a world-class zoo actually looks like behind the scenes — the Lunar Light Spectacular, the daily operational chaos, the septic systems, the ladders, and the hammers — and why Matt's two non-negotiable hiring standards are loyalty and work ethic, full stop, degree or no degree.
Matt also shares the broadcasting memory that made him realize he was good enough, why the Iron Pigs taught him everything he knows about entertaining families, and what he hopes people say about the mark he left when his time at the zoo is done. His straight lines definition — stay focused on the most important ball you're juggling, tackle what you keep putting off, and stack good days one at a time — is as practical and grounded as it gets.
A must-listen for leaders, career changers, and anyone in the Lehigh Valley who has ever wondered what goes on behind the gates at lbzoo.org.
