{"id":58479,"date":"2021-04-06T15:47:57","date_gmt":"2021-04-06T20:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/?p=58479"},"modified":"2021-04-06T15:47:57","modified_gmt":"2021-04-06T20:47:57","slug":"carowinds-announces-manny-gonzalez-as-new-vpgm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/2021\/04\/06\/carowinds-announces-manny-gonzalez-as-new-vpgm\/","title":{"rendered":"Carowinds Announces Manny Gonzalez as New Vice President\/General Manager"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.carowinds.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Carowinds<\/a> announced today that Manny Gonzalez, most recenly Vice President and General Manager of California&#8217;s Great America, has been named vice president and general manager of the park. He succeeds Pat Jones, who has been promoted to senior vice president, park operations, at Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Carowinds\u2019 parent company.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_58480\" style=\"width: 730px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58480\" class=\"wp-image-58480 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-720x288.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"288\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-720x288.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-1000x400.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-768x307.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-1200x480.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-600x240.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-800x320.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-300x120.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner.jpg 1400w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 720px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 720\/288;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58480\" class=\"wp-image-58480 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-720x288.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-720x288.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-1000x400.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-768x307.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-1200x480.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-600x240.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-800x320.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner-300x120.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/manny-gonzalez-banner.jpg 1400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-58480\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Manny Gonzales, New General Manager of Carowinds<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Manny Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience to Carowinds, having held leadership roles with a number of recognized companies in the entertainment and leisure industry. These roles include vice president and general manager at Six Flags in Oklahoma City for 17 years, chief operating officer at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio for nearly three years, and a board member of Hawaiian Falls Waterparks in Dallas\/Ft. Worth, Texas, from 2015-2017. For the past three years, Gonzalez was the VP\/GM at California&#8217;s Great America, Cedar Fair\u2019s park in Santa Clara.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cManny is a passionate leader with global experience in the leisure and hospitality industry, including strategic development for theme parks, zoos, cruise lines and live events,\u201d said Tim Fisher, Cedar Fair chief operating officer. \u201cHis keen insights and strategic perspective will help enhance Carowinds\u2019 already-strong reputation for providing guests with amazing experiences and memories that last a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI look forward to joining the Carowinds team,\u201d Gonzalez said. \u201cI\u2019m honored to lead the well-loved park through its next phase of evolution and am committed to continuing to deliver the high-quality experiences its guests expect and enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_58481\" style=\"width: 730px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58481\" class=\"wp-image-58481 size-large lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-720x404.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"404\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-720x404.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252.jpg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 720px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 720\/404;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58481\" class=\"wp-image-58481 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-720x404.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-720x404.jpg 720w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252-600x337.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/carowinds-gm-pat-jones-mk002-copy_1200xx4829-2716-0-252.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/noscript><p id=\"caption-attachment-58481\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pat Jones, New Senior Vice President of Operations, Cedar Fair<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In Jones\u2019 new role as senior vice president, she will have operational oversight for the following parks: California\u2019s Great America, Carowinds, Kings Dominion in Virginia, Knott\u2019s Berry Farm in California, Schlitterbahn parks in New Braunfels and Galveston, Texas, and Valleyfair in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p>Jones brings more than 40 years of industry experience to her new position. She began her career as a game attendant at Kings Dominion. She later held increasingly responsible roles on her way to managing retail at the park. In the 1990s she moved to Carowinds as vice president of resale, overseeing food, merchandise and games. Jones then returned to Kings Dominion to serve as vice president of resale until 2004 when she was tapped to serve as corporate vice president of resale at Paramount Parks. After Cedar Fair purchased Paramount, she was brought back to lead park operations for both Kings Dominion and Carowinds. In 2016 she relocated to Charlotte to focus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/2020\/01\/29\/carowinds-teases-future-development-with-survey\/\">solely on Carowinds\u2019 growth.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cPat brings significant operations and finance experience to this senior leadership role, as well as a deep passion for delivering on our commitment to provide guests with fun, dynamic and memorable experiences they can share with their family and friends,\u201d Fisher said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u2019m excited for the opportunity help lead Cedar Fair\u2019s continued pursuit of excellence at its parks across the country,\u201d Jones said. \u201cIt\u2019s a privilege to take on this role at such a pivotal time in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Carowinds announced today that Manny Gonzalez, most recenly Vice President and General Manager of California&#8217;s Great America, has been named vice president and general manager of the park. He succeeds Pat Jones, who has been promoted to senior vice president,&#46;&#46;&#46;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":58480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2271,299,2699,4144,4145,2700],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58479"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.coaster101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}