Gerardo Arteaga of Chile’s Fantasilandia Named IAAPA Chairman of the Board for 2015

Orlando, FL, USA (November 17, 2014) – Today, at the IAAPA Annual Business Meeting in Orlando, Florida, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) introduced Gerardo Arteaga, general manager of Fantasilandia in Santiago, Chile, as the organization’s chairman of the board for 2015. The association membership also elected a new treasurer and five new directors to its board of directors.

Arteaga has been involved in the attractions industry since his early childhood, when his family established the Fantasilandia amusement park in 1977. He worked in the business throughout his youth, and after completing his university studies he was named regional manager for the family’s Happyland family entertainment center (FEC), which operates facilities throughout Central and South America. In 2000, Arteaga returned to Fantasilandia as customer service manager and was promoted to the role of the park’s general manager in 2002.

Arteaga’s involvement in IAAPA includes serving as a member of the marketing and FEC committees as well as on the advisory committee for Latin America. He served on the IAAPA Board of Directors from 2007-2009 and joined the IAAPA Executive Committee in 2008. In 2011, Arteaga was named IAAPA’s third vice chairman. He was second vice chairman in 2013 and first vice chairman in 2014.

In addition to his IAAPA involvement, Arteaga is also an active member and leader of the Latin American Association of Attractions and Amusement Parks (ALAP) and his charitable initiatives include the Make-A-Wish foundation in Chile.

2015 IAAPA Officers
The IAAPA Board of Directors elected the following officers for the organization for 2015:

First Vice Chairman – John McReynolds, senior vice president, Universal Parks and Resorts, United States
Second Vice Chairman – Greg Hale, vice president and chief safety officer, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, United States

IAAPA President and CEO – Paul Noland, IAAPA

New Treasurer and Directors
The following IAAPA members were elected as treasurer and directors at the association’s annual business meeting on Nov. 17:

Treasurer
Hank Salemi, president, Six Flags Great America, United States

Facility and Life Directors
Denise Beckson, director of operations/HR, Morey’s Piers, United States

Doug Stagner, corporate vice president, operations, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, United States

Tony Sze, general manager, Chimelong Resort, People’s Republic of China

Manufacturer and Supplier Director
Jeff Hudson, president, Skee-Ball, Inc., United States

Past Chairman Director
John Collins, John Collins Leisure, United Kingdom

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