Jack and Peter Herschend, Co-owners and Co-founders
Jack and Peter Herschend are co-owners and co-founders of Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. Since their first visits to Marvel Cave in the late 1940s with their parents Hugo and Mary Herschend, Jack and Pete have worked together to nurture and grow what is now regarded as the country's foremost privately-held family entertainment company.
For most of the company's first 50 years, Jack served as chairman, president, and CEO. Jack's intensity and deep caring for people shaped the Herschend culture into what it is today. Since his return from college (Northwestern University) and military service (Lieutenant, USMC), the family business has been the focus of Jack's career.
Similarly, Peter has devoted his professional life to the company, serving as executive vice president (Marketing) and vice-chairman. Known far and wide as a champion of tourism, Pete is credited with helping set the direction of tourism policy at the state and federal levels, including road development, environmental awareness and community betterment. Pete earned his business degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and holds an honorary doctorate from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.
The brothers have received numerous awards over the years, including induction into the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2005, Jack and Pete were co-recipients of the Ernst & Young Lifetime Achievement Award for Activism, Entrepreneurship, and Leadership.
Giving Back
Jack and Pete share a deep passion for personal service and giving. Both men are involved in numerous church, community and educational organizations.
In addition to several industry boards, Pete has served for many years on the Missouri State Board of Education, including two terms as its President. He serves as a director of Camp Barnabas, a Christian summer camp in Southwest Missouri for children who suffer from terminal illnesses or other conditions. Pete is also an annual participant - and the nation's leading fundraiser - in the MS150 bike tour, raising over $1 million for multiple sclerosis research in his 16+ years of involvement.
Jack serves on the boards of several Christian ministries, including Lives Under Construction Boys Ranch, Kids Across America and the National Institute of Marriage. In 1992, Jack founded The Gift of Green which has planted nearly 200,000 trees to counter deforestation due to development in the Missouri Ozarks. His efforts were recognized in 1999 with an award from the National Arbor Day foundation.
Family
Both men met their wives at Silver Dollar City. Jack and Sherry have been married for over 50 years and live in Branson, surrounded by their three sons and 11 grandchildren. Pete and JoDee have been married over 40 years. They also reside in Branson where they enjoy their five grown children and 7 grandchildren.
Joel Manby, President and Chief Executive Officer
Joel Manby is President and Chief Executive Officer of Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), which owns or partners in 20 entertainment properties in 9 states.
Joel graduated from Albion College, where he was valedictorian and a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist. He was elected to the Albion College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991 and has served on the Albion College board of trustees.
After two years with General Motors, he attended Harvard Business School on a GM scholarship, graduating in 1985. He then joined Saturn Corporation as one of the first marketing managers with the company. He was part of the team that developed Saturn's marketing and distribution strategy, including no-hassle selling, which was a revolutionary concept in the car industry at that time.
After seven years with Saturn in both the OEM and retail side of the business and a two year stint with GM's International Division, he was promoted to CEO of Saab USA. During Joel's four years at Saab, overall sales increased 67% and the division returned to profitability while improving their J. D. Power quality ranking from 30th to 5th place in the auto industry.
While at Saab, he was asked to be on the board of directors of HFE, which eventually led to him becoming chairman upon Jack Herschend's retirement in 2002. Joel became CEO of the company in February of 2003.
As a volunteer, he serves as Chairman of FamilyWise, a non-profit company whose mission is to provide effective tools which enable families to learn biblical virtues in the home, school and church. FamilyWise products are used in over 2000 schools, 2500 churches and thousands of homes across America.
Joel has been married to his wife Marki for 18 years, and they have four daughters, including Anna, who was adopted from China.
Rick Baker, Corporate Vice President of Marketing
Rick Baker oversees Corporate Marketing, while directly guiding marketing teams in both Branson and Pigeon Forge. Rick began his career with Silver Dollar City in 1972, working during the operating season as a cave guide. He continued working while attending college and graduated from Drury University in Springfield in 1975 with a degree in Economics. He also holds a Masters Degree in Business from Drury.
Rick was instrumental in developing and defining the early systems programs for the company and in 1991, he was promoted to Director of Research and Development. Over the past 10 years, Rick has served in several positions including VP of Marketing for Branson Properties, VP of Corporate Design & Development, and VP of Marketing for Dollywood.
Rick is recognized not only for his strategic marketing abilities and creativity, but also for his strong community leadership. Rick resides with his family in Tennessee.
Rick Todd, Corporate Vice President
Strategic Planning & HR
Rick Todd began his career at Silver Dollar City in 1967 as a summer parking attendant. He became a full-time employee in 1969, and over the next several years, he was promoted to Supervisor of Parking, Front Gate Manager, and Director of Attractions. In March 1976, he was promoted and transferred to Silver Dollar City, Tennessee (later to become Dollywood) as Director of Operations with responsibility of all the operating divisions reporting to him. In 1978, the additional responsibilities of Director of Personnel, Design and Planning were added to his role.
In November 1980, he transferred back to Missouri as General Manager of White Water and Corporate Vice President of the White Water division, and later assumed the title of Corporate Vice President of Human Resources. In 1983, he became Vice President of Corporate Development and Design. Rick and his team were responsible for the development and design of rides and attractions at all Silver Dollar City, Inc. locations. He was instrumental in the initial development of the Grand Palace concept, Grand Village and Showboat Branson Belle, and in negotiations with the State of Georgia for the leasing and development of Stone Mountain Park. He moved into his current position in September 2000, with his main responsibilities in long and short-term strategic planning, new business ventures, corporate human resources & safety.
Jane Cooper, President
HFE Attractions Division
As President of the new Herschend Family Entertainment Park Management Division, Jane Cooper oversees corporate growth potential while providing management expertise to the industry in financial, development and operational areas.
With a long history of working with numerous HFE board members and HFE ownership, Jane holds an MBA in Finance from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati. She served 25 years with Paramount Parks, and was president for 8 of those years. She currently serves on the board of IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) and chaired the board in 2005, and was president of one of the industry's most innovative projects to date, Wannado City in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Since starting with HFE in early 2006, Jane has been focusing on management models in all areas in which HFE currently concentrates: regional theme parks, waterparks, public and private partnerships, and business development. She operates the new Park Management Division out of Atlanta, yet resides with her family in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jane is committed to education, and serves on the Board of Trustees for Central Piedmont Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the nation, whose mission is to be a leader in workforce development. She and her husband Stephen have two children.
Anthony Esparza, Corporate Vice President
Guest Experience, Design & Development
Anthony Esparza has spent his career creating and leveraging fun by orchestrating every aspect of the guest experience. Anthony's expertise and award-winning creativity have touched and engaged virtually every demographic, and helped companies such as Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, MTV, Blockbuster Video, Coca Cola, and Mattel Toys cement relationships with a new generation of customers. Joining Herschend Family Entertainment in 2003, Anthony now leads the HFE Creative Studio in its quest to "create memories worth repeating" for each and every guest.
Most recently, Anthony spent several years as Senior Vice President of Design and Entertainment for Paramount Parks, the "out of home" entertainment division of media giant Viacom, Inc. Previously, Anthony served as Vice President of the Creative Development Division at Landmark Entertainment Group in Los Angeles, overseeing the Attractions and Show Design, Design Development, Master Planning, Art Direction and Graphic Identity groups. Over the years, Anthony has been a key leader, designer and creative director on several industry leading attractions.
His range of involvement includes the development of branded attractions such as Star Trek: The Experience, Nickelodeon Central, Survivor: Live!, Titanic: The Movie on Tour, MTV: The Grind and The 7th Portal, a 3D film co-developed with Stan Lee, co-creator of Spiderman and The X-Men. Anthony is on the international board of directors for the TEA: Themed Entertainment Association.
Ken Jeffries, Chief Financial Officer
Ken Jeffries joined Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) in October 1996 as Corporate Chief Accountant and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 1999. Prior to joining HFE, Ken spent fourteen years with Hallmark Cards, Kansas City, Missouri, in various financial positions of increasing responsibility. In 1995, he and his family moved to the Springfield area where he was employed as the Controller for Dairy Farmers of America (formerly Mid-America Dairymen, Inc.), the nation's largest dairy cooperative.
He has a Masters in Business Administration with an Emphasis in Finance from Rockhurst College, Kansas City, Missouri, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Management Information Systems from Missouri State University, Springfield, summa cum laude. Ken is the recipient of the Joseph Daniel Delp Award as an outstanding business school graduate for 1981. His certifications include Certified Public Account (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
Jason Blain, Corporate Director
Partnerships & Brand Alliances
As Corporate Director of Partnerships & Brand Alliances for Herschend Family Entertainment, Jason Blain forges mutually profitable relationships with third-party companies that share the HFE values - expanding their market presence and driving attendance to the parks.
Jason has a proven record for spotting winning partnership opportunities, from branded shows and attractions to product placements in the parks. He has been instrumental in building and expanding relationships with brands including Smithsonian, National Geographic, Big Idea (VeggieTales) and Coca-Cola, among others. Since joining HFE in 1996, Jason has led the development of more than $150 million in successful attractions for the properties - affording them exposure to more than 12 million visitors each year.
Before joining HFE, Jason co-founded Entertainment Properties, an Orlando-based consulting and development firm for leisure recreation and theme park attractions. Through this venture, he worked with clients to develop creative projects that were both economically and operationally sound investments.
Jason also served as vice president at Management Resources, one of the nation's largest management consulting firms for the leisure industry. There, he developed a vast network of industry contacts that continues today. Prior, he worked with Walt Disney Company's attractions division, where he played a key role in the EPCOT Center finance department.
Jason earned his master of business management/finance from Wake Forest University, and his bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University. He and his wife, Mary Katherine, are highly active in the lives of their four sons.
Jerry Rode, Senior Vice President
Information Technology & Procurement
Jerry Rode, Herschend Family Entertainment's Vice President of Information Technology, has more than 30 years of general and I. T. management experience, centered primarily on start-up and turn-around situations.
For the eight years prior to joining HFE in January 2004, Jerry headed the I. T. group of Saab Cars USA, where he focused on enhancing Saab's national dealer network as well as strengthening Saab's internal systems and E-business capabilities. He has served as Chief Information Officer, Group VP and Managing Director in the distribution, manufacturing and advertising industries. In these roles, he has successfully delivered innovative business solutions, based upon wrapping legacy and heritage systems with leading edge technology architectures.
Rob Collins, Corporate Vice President
Advertising
Corporate Vice President of Advertising, Rob Collins is known industry-wide for his contributions in developing such noted brands as Nickelodeon, Universal Studios and Paramount Parks, having held senior marketing positions at each company.
Rob's career includes stints in radio and television promotions as well as heading up regional marketing for Domino's Pizza. He was a key contributor to Nickelodeon's entree into the Recreation business and first partnered with HFE in that role back in 1996. Collins also helped develop the advertising programs for the international launch of Universal's Island of Adventure theme park and, just prior to joining HFE, was President of Focus Point Advertising in Charlotte, NC, a company he founded specializing in entertainment marketing. His efforts have garnered numerous advertising and industry awards.
Based at the HFE Corporate office in Atlanta, Collins oversees all marketing communications initiatives for the company including media strategies, advertising, Internet, and Customer Relationship Management programs.
Rob and his wife Jody have five children and are members of North Point Community Church. Collins performs volunteer work in television production at North Point and enjoys coaching his children's sports teams. Previous volunteer work included being Alumni Representative for the Florida Southern College Development Office, serving on the Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni Advisory Board, and directing the weekly television show The First Hour (First Baptist Church Orlando).
Chris Herschend, President
Ride The Ducks
Chris Herschend is President of Ride The Ducks for the Herschend Family Entertainment. Prior to joining HFE in 2003, Chris held positions in marketing and finance at The Coca-Cola Company and an Atlanta venture capital firm.
Chris earned both his BA (English, 1995) and his MBA (2003) from Emory University. Since 1997, Chris has been elected by his fellow shareholders to serve on the Herschend Family Entertainment Board of Directors, where he currently serves as Secretary and as a member of the audit committee. He is the son of HFE co-founders Peter and JoDee Herschend and is married to the former Ashley Wight of Thomasville, GA. Chris and Ashley have four young children and are members of Church of The Apostles in Atlanta. Chris sits on the board of the Georgia Tourism Foundation and is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization and the 159 Group.
Mike Hutcherson, Senior Vice President
Ozark Mountain Country
Mike Hutcherson is the Senior Vice President of all the Ozark Mountain Country properties which include Silver Dollar City, Celebration City, Showboat Branson Belle and White Water. He has been with the corporation since 1979.
Mike graduated from Missouri State University and started his career with Herschend Family Entertainment after 5 years with the J C Penney Corporation. After starting with the corporation in Merchandise, he spent time in the Corporate Planning and Development department, as Director of Revenue, General Manager of Dollywood and General Manager of Silver Dollar City. He also serves as Vice President of the Silver Dollar City Foundation.
Active in the community, Mike has, in the past, served on the Board of Directors of the Branson Chamber of Commerce, Branson Regional Economic Development Association, Discipleship Focus, and Catholic Charities Advisory Board.
Mike lives in Springfield, Missouri, with his wife Jackie, their son Tyler and daughter Kelle. He and his family are members of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
Ken Bell, Senior Vice President
Smoky Mountain Country
From 1969 through 1975, Ken Bell worked part time at Silver Dollar City in Missouri while continuing his college education. Upon graduation from Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, he began working on a full-time basis and has held various management positions in operations and marketing until becoming Assistant General Manager of the Silver Dollar City Park in Missouri in 1982.
In August 1985, Ken was promoted and transferred to Tennessee, to become Vice President/General Manager of the Silver Dollar City, Inc. property in Pigeon Forge. He has had a significant role in the park growing from a small, little-known attraction to the nationally top-ranked theme park "Dollywood." In 2001, with the opening of the new water park, Dollywood's Splash Country, Ken became the Sr. Vice President of Dollywood & Dollywood's Splash Country.
Ken's drive and desire to succeed, along with his keen insight and his ability to get along with everyone, have identified him as a leader and well-respected member of the Pigeon Forge community.
Sonny Horton, Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Stone Mountain Park, Atlanta
Sonny Horton has spent his entire career with the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Mo., with a Business Marketing major. He began working at the Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson, Mo., in 1973. While there, he served in various marketing and management capacities and developed the park's Young Christians Days, which is still the largest single-day event in the park's history. He spent several years directing the company's marketing efforts for their White Water parks, and served as the General Manager of the highly successful Atlanta water park for a number of years.
Sonny serves on both the Atlanta and Dekalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau Boards of Directors. He is also on the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Industry Board at Georgia State University. Sonny resides with his family in Atlanta.
Barbara Joines, Vice President and General Manager
Dollywood
Barbara Joines has worked for the Dollywood Company and the entertainment park's previous namesake, Silver Dollar City, for the past 24 years. As Vice President, Joines' responsibilities include overseeing the operations and management of the Foods, Merchandise, Attractions, Amusements, Personnel, Front Gate and Safety & Security.
As the previous Director of Theater Operations at the Music Mansion Theater, she managed all aspects of the theater venue including marketing, accounting, ticket sales, the show, and day-to-day operations. Before Music Mansion, Joines served as Marketing Office Manager for Dollywood, where she oversaw the Season Pass campaign, direct mail projects, marketing research and compilation, and the department's financial aspects. She has also worked in the Accounting Department for both Dollywood and Silver Dollar City.
She is the Secretary/Treasurer of The Dollywood Foundation Board of Directors and has served on the Smoky Mountain Theater Association Board, the Tennessee Dialogue Committee, the Smoky Mountain Boys and Girls Club, the Robert F. Thomas Foundation and is a graduate of the 1999 class of Leadership Sevier.
Gerald Rakestraw, Vice President and General Manager
Stone Mountain Park
Gerald Rakestraw graduated from the University of Georgia in 1993 with a degree in Political Science and in 1995 received a Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina.
Immediately after graduate school, Gerald joined Stone Mountain Park, where he was afforded the opportunity to gain knowledge of the Park's various operating departments through a management training program. After two years, Gerald was promoted to Attractions Manager, where he focused on the daily operations of the Park, assisted on special projects and helped with the transition to Herschend Family Entertainment. Over the next several years, Gerald gained valuable experience as he served as Attractions & Operations Director and assumed additional duties. Gerald became Vice President and General Manager of Stone Mountain Park in 2004. He also serves as a board member for the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Gerald and his wife Carrie have two daughters, Taylor and Anna, and are members of St. Pius X in Conyers.
Brad Thomas, Vice President and General Manager
Silver Dollar City Theme Park
Brad Thomas began his career with Silver Dollar City in 1991, and has served in various leadership roles in merchandise, Special Events and park management, and was promoted to his current position in September 2000.
Brad has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Marketing from Missouri State University. He is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Missouri, is on the Board of Directors of Leadership Missouri Alumni Association and is a 1998 graduate of the Branson/Lakes area Leadership program. He has earned the Certified Festival & Event Executive designation (CFEE) and is an active member of the International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA), serving on the President's Council.
Brad serves on the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as Immediate Past-Chairman, is also on that organization's executive committee and is a member of Skaggs Hospital Board of Trustees. He is active in his church, and has served for several years on the board of directors of Lost and Found, an organization which works with children in the Ozarks who have lost a parent to death. He has traveled multiple times to Haiti, taking Christmas gifts to schools and orphanages as a part of Kanakuk Haiti, a branch of Joe White's Kanakuk Kamp ministries.
Bob Montgomery, Vice President and General Manager
Wild Adventures Theme Park
Bob Montgomery is Vice President and General Manager of Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Bob started with Herschend Family Entertainment in spring of 2001 as Vice President of Branson Attractions in Branson, Missouri, and was later promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Ride The Ducks International. In September 2007, he moved to his current position at Wild Adventures.
Since graduation from the University of Toronto, Bob has worked for some of the leading entertainment brands and has extensive experience in launching new businesses and concepts. He has been directly involved in the planning, launch and management of more than a dozen new entertainment based projects across three continents. A Canadian citizen, Bob has served as a senior executive with King's Entertainment, Interactive Entertainment Inc, The LEGO Group and C. N. Real Estate, Canada's largest real estate developer.
Immediately prior to joining HFE, Bob worked with The LEGO Group and served as General Manager, opening parks in the United Kingdom and California. In his role as Vice President of Operations and Development for LEGO Family Attractions, he was instrumental in the conception of many of the projects in the LEGO parks as well as heading the development and construction for the Legoland in Gunzburg, Germany. He is a career professional in the entertainment and tourism industry with over 25 years of experience.
Greg Charbeneau, Executive Director
Adventure Aquarium
Greg Charbeneau is responsible for all aspects of Adventure Aquarium and has dedicated his career to the aquarium industry, working at nationally acclaimed aquariums for 21 years. Most recently, he was Vice President of Husbandry at the New Jersey State Aquarium, focusing on the development and implementation of animal care. Greg previously worked at the Mystic Aquarium Institute for Exploration as Curator of Fishes and Invertebrates.
He began his career at Sea World working at both Sea World of Ohio and Sea World of Florida. Later, he was a Marine Biologist for the Living Seas at Walt Disney World's EPCOT. Greg earned his bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in 1987, with a specialization in Marine Biology and a minor in Comprehensive Science.
Greg is an active participant in conservation and education initiatives and is a member of the American Zoo & Aquarium Association. He is on several boards, AZA steering committees and volunteers his time with several organizations and church.
Greg resides with his family in Marlton, New Jersey.
Eric Rose, Executive Director
Newport Aquarium
Eric Rose is responsible for Newport Aquarium and the facility's major initiatives, which started with the major expansion in 2004.
Eric has a strong background in aquariums and management including roles with Sea World Orlando, where he was involved with many of the park's premier exhibits; The Walt Disney Company, leading husbandry, animal collection, and exhibit development activities for the Living Seas Aquarium; and the Sydney Aquarium, as a key contributor to an ambitious expansion project that included new facilities, exhibits and a spectacular Great Barrier Reef Oceanarium.
Eric received his bachelor's degree in aquaculture and environmental sciences from Florida Institute of Technology and his MBA from the Crummer Graduate School of Business, Rollins College. Eric is a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), the American Society for Training and Development and the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society.
Eric lives in Newport, KY., with his wife, Martine.
Andrew Wexler, Vice President
Business Development
Andrew Wexler joined HFE in September of 2007 and currently evaluates and develops new business lines for HFE.
Wexler earned his BBA and Master of Accountancy degree from the University of Georgia. He obtained his MBA from The Harvard Business School where he graduated as a George F. Baker Scholar (High Distinction). His work experience includes time at Arthur Andersen and McKinney & Company. Andrew was a co-founder and the Chief Financial Officer of Derivion, a pioneer in internet-based billing, and the Chief Operating Officer of Martin Capital, a real estate development and finance firm.
Andrew and his wife, Kourtney, and their two children, Hamilton and Ashlyn, live in Alpharetta, Georgia.
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