BATON ROUGE — BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson announced Thursday his plans to step down from the role he's held since 2019 as BREC enters a period of internal and external struggles.

"I've decided to not seek a third extension or renewal of my contract," Wilson said at a BREC Commissioners meeting Thursday night.

Some people who supported Wilson's work as superintendent were parkgoers. One of the largest projects Wilson presided over was a major overhaul of the Baton Rouge Zoo that included a new entrance.

"I like it because, me personally, I was around when it was the older version, so this one I've seen the new and improved zoo," zoo patron Maraina Scott said.

Others criticized events that happened under his leadership like a 2021 audit of BREC not being completed until August 2024.

"I've always thought of Corey as an intelligent and capable guy and a good leader that really had the opportunity to be a visionary and never really took advantage of that, you know we've stayed still. I think Corey got in the weeds with some challenges and some people and left him without the opportunity to be all that he could be," Envision Baton Rouge's Jenni Peters said.

The search for a new superintendent will now happen amid discussions of changing how BREC is set up. Bills pre-filed at the legislature would transfer control of the park management department to the mayors in East Baton Rouge Parish and place BREC under the city-parish umbrella.

"Having that vision and have conversations and listen to the public and see where we want to go with our parks in the future. I would rather see them go outside this time. They went inside with Corey," Peters said.

Wilson's contract is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2026. He says he will help with the hiring process for the next superintendent.