As someone who grew up in Cincinnati during Maruska's tenure as director, I am very partial to him. It was a different era for zoos, no doubt, and he was a collector of rarities that's been unrivaled since.
It seems like I'd read about some animal in a book, and then sooner or later he'd obtain one or two. Okapis, babirusa, anoas, doucs, komodos, Sumatran rhinos, bonobos, giant salamanders, king cheetahs, and I'm sure many more that I can't recall came to the zoo on his watch. The giant eland and Tasmanian devils might have as well, but I'm not 100% sure. This isn't even mentioning the temporary exhibits like the aforementioned golden monkeys and pandas. Kings Island, the local amusement park also had a large field exhibit that I believe the zoo oversaw to some extent in the end (it's actually tough to get history on that particular attraction). They had gaur and actually bred them with help from the zoo.
He was a director for people who loved rarities. That style of director is largely gone for many reasons, a lot of them valid, but it was definitely something to see at the time. The opening of Wildlife Canyon was probably my best memory of the zoo as a kid. Now it's kind of just a ragtag collection of odds and ends, but when it opened it was filled end to end with some incredible species.
Maynard is another that I grew up with, but more as the PR face of the zoo. I've met him and like him. He's one a decent job IMO of working with what he has money and space wise. He's a likable personalty who the community has known for a very long time.
