Curtis P. Parks, ICAE
Curtis Parks, a family entertainment and attraction veteran, is a Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Icon Attractions. Mr. Parks previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President with PARC Management, LLC. He was part of the founding management team, helping launch the company from 7 to 25 properties in an 18-month period.
Mr. Parks’ prior experience includes Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resorts where he held the position of Vice President of Operations. During his tenure, Parks worked closely with ownership to successfully complete the development of Schlitterbahn Galveston. Prior to his time at Schlitterbahn, Mr. Parks served as General Manager of Wannado City, America’s first real-play theme park for children, and General Manager of several water parks including Wet ‘n Wild Las Vegas, Wild Waters Waterpark in Silver Springs, Florida, Weeki Wachee Springs, Buccaneer Bay, and Holiday Inn. In addition, Mr. Parks served as Director of Compliance for Alfa SmartParks, Inc. where he helped develop a standard operating platform for the group’s 9 entertainment facilities.
Mr. Parks is an active member of the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA) and the World Water Park Association (WWA), an IAAPA Certified Attractions Executive, and served as a national faculty member of the Ellis & Associates International Aquatic Safety School.
Eli J. Stovall, ICAE
Eli Stovall, a Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer of ICON Attractions, is a hands-on operator with more than 20 years executive and general management experience leading multi-unit attractions. Eli has worked with industry leading brands including Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resorts, Wet ‘n Wild Water Parks, Raging Waters Waterparks, Palace Entertainment, Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park, Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, Great Wolf Lodge, Hawaiian Falls Waterparks, and NASCAR SpeedParks. Eli has led numerous projects encompassing major park development and expansion, distressed asset turn-around, and infrastructure and management solutions architecture while keeping the guest journey front and center.
Combined with significant M&A experience including water park roll up acquisitions, REIT sale/leaseback transactions, and portfolio asset management of more than $500M including theme parks, water parks, and family entertainment centers, Eli brings tremendous industry knowledge and skill to the business.
Stovall is an active industry volunteer, International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA) Certified Attractions Executive, an alumnus of the 2008 IAAPA Wharton Executive Institute. He is past chair of the IAAPA Financial Management and Information Technology committee and currently serves as on the IAAPA Government Relations committee.
Brian Stovall, CVE - Managing Partner Icon Leisure
Brian Stovall, President and Managing Partner of ICON Leisure, is a Certified Venue Executive with over 25 years of experience in public, private and not-for-profit sectors with expertise in operational concept design, new construction, renovations/expansions, general management, and real estate. Brian’s experience includes serving in numerous operations and executive roles for water parks, amphitheaters, performing arts centers, arenas and resort hospitality properties in Austin, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville and San Diego.
As a former Board Member of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), Stovall provided leadership and growth for the organization including contributing editorial content for “The IAVM Blueprint: Event Management” textbook as well as serving on numerous committees within IAVM including the Governance Committee and Industry Affairs Committee.
Brian has been in and around the resort and entertainment business since 1989 when he first became a lifeguard at Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort. Since then, he has held management and executive roles for recognizable industry leaders including Schlitterbahn, House of Blues Entertainment, Live Nation Entertainment, The University of Texas at Austin, Marriott, and Gaylord Hospitality Properties.
Derek Lovato, ICAE – Vice President
Derek Lovato has been active in the theme park, retail and entertainment industries for more than 19 years. Beginning his career in 1998, he worked for various top theme park companies including Six Flags, PARC Management and Herschend Family Entertainment at Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park in Denver, Colorado. With experience in multiple areas throughout his tenure, Lovato’s predominant focus covers revenue, operations, group sales and in-park services.
Managing games, retail and photo operations, as well as arcades and paid attractions while overseeing a staff of 500, Lovato’s work contributed to $34 million in annual sales at Elitch Gardens. Mr. Lovato also served on the Six Flags companywide merchandise development team, managing $15 million in inventory for the West Coast parks and attractions. During his career he also served as the head of corporate buying strategies for PARC Management, LLC.
Immediately prior to joining ICON Attractions, Derek held the position of Corporate Director of Sales for Rhode Island Novelty. Lovato was responsible for sales strategies and product development for the NANCO merchandise line, managing and developing business relationships with license partners Nickelodeon, MTV Viacom and Epic Records as well as managing an international sales team.
Mr. Lovato is an International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Certified Attractions Executive and member of the association’s Merchandise Committee. Lovato is also a member of the President’s Council for the New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (NEAAPA) and sits on the Executive Board of the Stuffed Toy Manufacturers Association (STMA).
Chris Berner – Vice President of Finance
With a BS in accounting, finance and management information systems from Bowling Green University and an MBA from Ashland University, Chris Berner enjoyed successful roles in banking, manufacturing and distribution. He was given the opportunity to hop on the thrill ride that is the amusement industry and now feels like a kid every day.
Berner has held finance, technology and management roles at some of the countries’ most iconic play lands including Wyandot Lake, The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, The State Fair of Texas and California’s Great America.
The systematic approach Berner learned through involvement in the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the International Institute for Business Analysis (IIBA) has earned him a reputation of introducing successful structured business solutions to the business of fun.
Berner feels fortunate to include among his mentors, Larry Cochran (IAAPA Hall of Fame, class of 2008), Errol McKoy (IAFE Hall of Fame, class of 2012), and 5-time Emmy Award winner “Jungle” Jack Hanna. Chris enjoys his faith, cooking his mother’s traditional German recipes, playing golf, listening to live music, and of course, his family.
Randy Josselyn – Vice President of Experiences
Randy Josselyn, serves as ICON Attractions’ Vice President, Experiences. Providing technology and e-commerce consulting solutions to improve the overall guest experience. Randy has long played a role in the guest journey, after nearly twenty years working in numerous capacities for Wild Rivers Waterpark and Walt Disney Parks, Randy founded Team Trajectory, a consulting firm that specialized in ticketing, technology, e-commerce and best practices for the attractions industry. Prior to joining ICON Experiences, Randy led Gateway Ticketing’s wildlife and conservation division and expanded services to include ticketing strategy for themed attractions, zoos, museums and aquariums. In 2020, Randy was named a Power 10 in Blooloop’s 50 Theme Park Influencer List for creating and hosting a series of webinars during the pandemic which rapidly became a valued resource for many in the attractions industry.
Karyn Wilder – General Manager
Karyn Wilder, General Manager of The St. Louis Wheel, has been delivering exceptional operational and financial leadership in the amusement industry for the past fifteen years. Most recently she served as the Corporate Director of Human Resources and Administration for Hawaiian Falls, a group of five water parks in North and Central Texas.
Working with each Hawaiian Falls property in the areas of operations, human resources, finance, marketing, and IT allowed Wilder to develop a strong appreciation for how these functional areas must work together to achieve optimal revenue fueled by an exceptional guest experience.
Prior to joining Hawaiian Falls, Wilder was a classroom teacher and principal at Lakeland Christian Academy (LCA) in Lewisville, TX. Karyn and her retired Army husband now live in Missouri. The Wilders have four children, 2 grandchildren and 2 fur babies.