Alexandria, VA, USA — The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) welcomes two new staff members to its headquarters and European office team. Brian Kirkland is IAAPA’s director of education programs and services and Nico Reynders joins the IAAPA Europe team as junior program manager.
Kirkland is responsible for the development and evaluation of IAAPA’s educational offerings and assists with the management of IAAPA’s awards program.
Prior to IAAPA, Kirkland was assistant director of education at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and senior manager of learning with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Pittsburgh and has a master’s degree in the same field from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Reynders recruits new members in Europe, provides customer service for IAAPA members in the region, and
handles all online marketing for the office.
Before joining IAAPA, Reynders spent six years as the assistant front office manager at Hotel Mercure Leuven Center, an Accor Hotels property in Belgium. Reynders, an amusement park aficionado, holds a master’s degree in applied economics and a minor in marketing from the University of Hasselt. Reynders’ previous experience also includes a brief stint with Bobbejaanland, where he worked in merchandising. Reynders speaks English, French, and Dutch.