The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) has welcomed three new staff members to its team, both at its headquarters in the USA and also its European office in Brussels.
Brian Kirkland the association’s new director of education programmes and services, assisting also with the management of IAAPA’s awards programme. He was previously assistant director of education at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), as well as senior manager of learning with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
Both Kirkland and Leslie Hutchinson, IAAPA’s new manager for family entertainment centre (FEC) initiatives, will work out of the home office in beautiful Old Town Alexandria, Virginia (near Washington DC). Hutchinson joins the association with extensive marketing and communications experience in the FEC sector, having spent 24 years working with facilities such as Sportsworld, Funfuzion at New Roc City and Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament. She has also volunteered on various IAAPA committees and on the board of K-W Oktoberfest, Attractions Ontario and Tourism Toronto.
In Brussels, Nico Reynders joins IAAPA Europe as junior program manager, replacing Jakob Wahl. He will be responsible for recruiting new members, providing customer service and handling all online marketing for the office. He previously spent six years as the assistant front office manager at Hotel Mercure Leuven Center in Belgium. An amusement park aficionado, Nico holds a master’s degree in applied economics and a minor in marketing from the University of Hasselt. He speaks English, French and Dutch.
