ITPS - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Operations Associate

Brent Drinnen has over 17 years in the theme park and leisure industry, with a majority of that time coming from ride and attraction operations. Brent has experience in ride operations, safe opening of attractions, and training and development. Brent caught the bug for the industry in his first job as a waterpark admission sales associate, but growing up in a major tourist destination certainly helped to develop and foster the love for the industry. During his career, Brent has had the opportunity to work at several award-winning parks and destinations, including the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, Dollywood and The Island in Pigeon Forge. Brent has had the amazing chance to be involved in the opening of many brand-new attractions as well. He was on the opening team of the Simpsons Ride at Universal Orlando where he learned and mastered the challenges that are confronted with opening a new attraction. While at Dollywood, Brent worked closely with the maintenance staff and his own attraction operations team to reduce attraction downtime by restructuring the loading and unloading procedures on the park's coasters to eliminate wear and tear due to unnecessary ride stoppages. Brent also spearheaded the rides team as opening Rides Supervisor, later Assistant Operations Manager, at The Island in Pigeon Forge. This gave Brent the opportunity to hone and showcase his attractions opening skills once again, but this time in a leadership aspect. In this role, Brent developed the training and operations plans for the new attraction, as well as developed the standard operating procedures for the Great Smoky Mountain Wheel. Ride and Attractions are not all Brent feels comfortable with, however. He has also assumed leadership positions at Orange Lake Resort, A Holiday Inn Club Vacations property, in Kissimmee, Florida. While at Orange Lake Resort, Brent led the recreation and retail team. Though his career is focused on the amusement and theme park industry, he also spends most of his free time visiting them as well, where you will find him dropping in and zooming by on a park's collection of attractions. Brent is a long-standing member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts. Brent completed the prestigious Walt Disney World College Program before returning to college to complete his Bachelor of Psychology degree from the University of Tennessee. As Operations Associate for ITPS, Brent is responsible for developing and maintaining documents and research-based information for ITPS clients. He is also key in the development and review process of manuals, training programs and operation programs.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Founder

Job Titles:

• Manager of Operations
• Manager - Operations

Mrs. Puckett has over twenty (20) years of experience in the theme park and leisure industry. Her primary focus has been in ride and attraction operations, training programs, management and planning and development of new and existing parks. Mrs. Puckett started her career as a Ride Operator at Paramount's Kings Island (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1999. She continued in the Ride Operations department through 2007 working as an On-Ride Supervisor and later as a Head Area Supervisor. As an Area Supervisor, Mrs. Puckett was responsible for overseeing all aspects of ride operations in a specific area of the park including training, development and promotion of associates and supervisors, staffing and scheduling, safe and efficient ride operation, new associate interviews and hiring, management of ride downtime and park guests in need of assistance. Mrs. Puckett worked for Paramount's Kings Island when the Paramount Parks were sold to Cedar Fair, and she was a part of the management team that helped smoothly transition the changes in operation that occurred. Mrs. Puckett is a graduate of Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a certificate in Environmental Studies. Mrs. Puckett completed an Animal Husbandry internship at the Newport Aquarium (Newport, Kentucky) during her university studies where she gained valuable knowledge in aquarium operation. Mrs. Puckett was responsible for the daily care of a variety of marine life both on and off public display. After graduation in 2004, Mrs. Puckettcontinued to work at Paramount's Kings Island but took time off to complete a five (5) month Animal Training internship at the Miami Seaquarium (Miami, Florida). She continued to increase her knowledge of aquarium operation and animal husbandry through the daily care of marine mammals such as Bottlenose Dolphins, Pacific Harbor Seals, California Sea Lions, Pacific White Dided Dolphins, and a Killer Whale. Her other responsibilities included public presentations and show preparation, guest service, and animal training. Mrs. Puckett became a part of the Hard Rock Park (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) opening team in 2008. As an Attractions Area Supervisor, she was a part of the pre-opening planning for rides and shows. Mrs. Puckett was involved in the development and implementation of the attractions operational procedures and training program. She created and reviewed manuals and training certification for rides, shows, general operating procedures and management as well as interviewed, hired and trained the opening staff. Mrs. Puckett maintained these programs throughout the year in addition to her day to day Area Supervisor park duties. Mrs. Puckett returned to the park in 2009 when it reopened as Freestyle Music Park. Mrs. Puckett helped transition the Operations department through the change in park ownership and management. Freestyle Music Park expanded the children's area in 2009 adding several new rides and attractions that Mrs. Puckett developed manuals, certifications and operational and training procedures for. Mrs. Puckett trained all levels of the Attractions staff from Attractions Operators to Area Supervisors and maintained the training program throughout the year. Mrs. Puckett additional assists with the compliation of the ITPS Leisure News and company research. As Manager of Operations for ITPS, Mrs. Puckett oversees the development of operational programs and procedures for clients. Mrs. Puckett is responsible for developing operations programs, manuals, on-site training programs and assisting with research for feasibility and other business analysis.

Job Titles:

• Senior Associate
• International Theme Park Services, Inc. As a Senior Associate

Mr. Nolting started his career in 1977 in the Group Sales Department at Kings Island, in Cincinnati, Ohio before being selected as one of two candidates to complete an in intense General Manager's training program designed to develop management generalists and add depth to the company's operations management team. Mr. Nolting then went on to become the Manager of Planning and Business Analysis at Taft Broadcasting Company and Amusement Group (now Cedar Fair's Kings Dominion. While there, Mr. Nolting established policies, procedures and new lines of communication to allow for regular, timely evaluation of the park's operation and revenue-generating performance. He was also responsible for supplying data to the marketing and operation departments to help increase both attendance and revenue-generation efforts. Mr. Nolting then furthered his career by being named Vice President/General Manager at Darien Lake Inc. in Darien Center, New York. He revised all the park's sales, marketing and operation systems to transition the organization from a construction project to an effectively and efficiently operated park. Mr. Nolting reorganized the staff's efforts and instituted a strict cost control program which reduced overall expenses by 13%, and he generated a 56% increase in total attendance, while revenues increases by 23%. As VP, Mr. Nolting developed the property's first long-range strategic plan and capital investment strategy, and crafted a new set of analysis benchmarks to gauge the park's operating and financial performances. Mr. Nolting then became part of the acquisition team at Leisure Systems, Inc - the North American franchisor of Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resorts. He developed LSI's first long-range strategic plan for growth and expansion of the franchise system and doubled the number of franchise locations. Mr. Nolting directed work with Hanna-Barbera Productions, and oversaw the revision of the package provided for character artwork, merchandise, and costumed characters. He instituted updated and re-written operations and training manuals, while new reporting and analysis procedures were installed. Mr. Nolting created a formal franchise advisory board, which helped the business relationship with the franchisee group change from difficult and contentious to cooperative and productive. Mr. Nolting returned to Cincinnati and became COO of Coney Island, Inc. As COO, gross revenues for this regional amusement park grew seven-fold to $15.7M while operating increased by a multiple of 40, to $2.4M. While at Coney Island, he reduced the park debt by 85%, renovated, repaired, and remodeled the entire park's buildings and structures, and redirected or replaced the entire park's operating procedures, financial systems, analysis reports, sales, and marketing plans. Mr. Nolting managed both the concession and parking agreements between the park and Riverbend Music Center, a 20,000+ capacity concert facility adjacent to the park. Mr. Nolting has successfully led two companies (Coney Island and Leisure Systems Inc.) from the brink of closing to viable, successful, and highly profitable enterprises. He is an active member of International Associate of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) - being on the Board of Directors, (Chair) Membership Committee, (Chair) Small Parks Committee, an Education, Strategic Planning, and Awards Committee Member, a Moderator/Instructor of the annual Attractions Management School, a Member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), and is also a member of the first group of international park executives to be named an Industry Certified Attractions Executive (ICAE). With over 40 years of leisure industry experience, in 2015, Mr. Nolting joined International Theme Park Services, Inc. as a Senior Associate. In this capacity, Mr. Nolting is involved in many facets of the firm's feasibility, design, operations planning, and on-site training and management programs.