IAAPA announces management transition

By | June 26, 2012

Alexandria, Va. — The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) announced June 26 that IAAPA President and CEO Chip Cleary has decided to return to a leadership position within the theme park industry after the end of the year. Paul Noland, theme park consultant, IAAPA Board member, and former Walt Disney Parks and Resorts executive, will take over as IAAPA President and CEO on Jan. 1, 2013. The leadership transition will begin this fall.

Noland is currently Principal and CEO of RPN Associates, a consulting and project management firm in the attractions industry.

From 1995 to 2011, Noland was an executive with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts serving in various senior management capacities including Senior Vice President, Global Business Development where he led a cross-functional team in the identification, evaluation, and negotiation of future growth opportunities for Walt Disney World, the Disneyland Resort, and the Disney Vacation Club. Noland also led Walt Disney World’s financial team as Senior Vice President, Finance, Planning, and Business Development and served as Vice President, Revenue Management and Business Development.

Paul Noland

Noland was in leadership positions with Marriott International from 1983 to 1995, including serving as Senior Director, Lodging Revenue Management and Director, Sales and Catering Systems.

Noland has a Master of Business Administration degree from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and Speech Communication from Radford University in Radford, Virginia.

He has been a member of the IAAPA Board of Directors since 2009 and he is chairman of the IAAPA Audit Committee. He has also served on the School Advisory Board for St. John Vianney Catholic School in Orlando, Florida. and been co-chair of the school’s Annual Fund campaign.

“I have enjoyed my experience as President and CEO of IAAPA and I am proud of all we have accomplished. We have more work to do and we will continue to move the association forward between now and the end of the year,” said Cleary. “I look forward to once again planning and developing attractions and entertaining guests so I am excited about returning to the theme park industry.”

“I have gotten to know Paul very well through our work on the IAAPA board and Audit Committee and I am confident the transition will be seamless,” Cleary added.

“I am excited about this great opportunity with an organization I respect in an industry I love,” said Noland. “I look forward to working with our members and their diverse businesses around the world to move our association forward together.”