John Reilly Executive Vice President and General Manager Busch Gardens and Water Country USA John Reilly was recently promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager of Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. Before coming to Williamsburg, Reilly, 39, was Vice President of Merchandising for Busch Entertainment Corporation. He led the company’s corporate merchandising group since April 2006. In addition to working in the corporate office in St. Louis, MO, Reilly also has leadership experience working in three of the ten Worlds of Discovery® parks, including Busch Gardens Africa and SeaWorld San Diego.

Dan Dipiazzo Vice President of Marketing Busch Gardens, Water Country USA and Kingsmill Resort & Spa Dan Dipiazzo joined Busch Entertainment Corporation in 2002 as the vice president of consumer marketing. He was the vice president of marketing strategy and planning when he left St. Louis in February 2007 and moved to Williamsburg to work at Busch Gardens, Water Country USA and Kingsmill Resort & Spa. He’s the vice president of marketing, and oversees all aspects of consumer marketing, promotions, sales, brand management and communications. “Working at the corporate level was like working for the legislative branch,” said Dipiazzo. “This is like moving to the executive branch where it’s more hands-on and near the action.”

Larry Giles Vice President of Design and Engineering Busch Gardens and Water Country USA Larry Giles, vice president of design and engineering for Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, began his career with Busch Entertainment in 1988. His theme park experience includes the design and development of 20 rides and attractions at four Worlds of Discovery® parks. Past projects include many of Busch Gardens’s thrill rides and attractions such as “Escape From Pompeii,” “Land of the Dragons,” “Alpengeist,” “Apollo’s Chariot” and Water Country USA’s “Malibu Pipeline,” “Nitro Racer,” “Meltdown” and “Hubba Hubba Highway” to name a few. Last spring, Giles directed the construction of “Griffon,” the world’s tallest and first floorless dive coaster. Giles’ background includes 25 years or construction and engineering experience. Before he joined Busch Entertainment Corporation, Giles

Mark Pauls Vice President of park operations Busch Gardens Mark Pauls became the vice president of park operations at Busch Gardens in 2008, but his history with the company dates back much further when Pauls was a high school student. "This is my first and only job," said Pauls. "I've never had an interest to go outside the Worlds of Discovery family of parks." Pauls began his career at Busch Gardens in 1979 as a seasonal team member, cleaning the sidewalks and removing trash. He's held a variety of positions since then, including director of operations and environmental health and safety. He became the vice president of Water Country USA in August 2005. With his leadership, the mid-Atlantic's largest water park enjoyed successful seasons and record attendance. As vice president of operations, Pauls is responsible for rides, security,

Eileen Weldon
Landscape Manager
Busch Gardens and Water Country USA

It was supposed to be a short-term job. But now Eileen Weldon has worked for the Williamsburg parks for 33 years.

Weldon started working at Busch Gardens before the park opened. She was one-half of the two-person team which landscaped the park in 1974. Busch Gardens opened in 1975.

The landscaping department has grown to 25 workers since then, and the park has grown to 100 acres. Weldon’s responsible for every worker and every acre. The bushes, vines and flowers in each country match the theme of each European community. Weldon also uses unique plant specimens to highlight areas in the park.

Her green thumb has won several prestigious awards within the amusement park industry. Busch Gardens has been voted the world’s “Most Beautiful Theme Park” every year since 1991. Weldon’s especially proud of the Golden Ticket Award for “Best Landscaping,” which the park has won every year since 1998. “Some guests only come to the park once a year,” said Weldon. “That day, it has to look perfect.”

Weldon’s also responsible for the landscaping at Busch Gardens’ sister park in Williamsburg, Water Country USA. In total, Weldon uses about 15,000 square-feet of greenhouse space to keep the plants looking their best in both parks.

Virginia Busch
Conservation Ambassador for Busch Entertainment Corporation

Virginia Busch serves as Conservation Ambassador for the Worlds of Discovery® parks, including SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove. In this role, she carries on the Busch family heritage of environmental stewardship.

Busch assists in the administration of the parks’ expanding conservation programs including development and oversight of partnerships to support collaborative research projects. She also serves as media spokesperson for environmental efforts at the parks. Her passion for animals may be seen in her regular television appearances across the nation. Her speaking engagements focus on the importance of conservation education through animal interaction, animal training as a husbandry and enrichment tool, and animal research, conservation, rescue and rehabilitation efforts at Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Discovery Cove.

Prior to her current role, Virginia Busch worked with zookeepers at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, where she specialized in animal husbandry and positive reinforcement training techniques. She also worked as a zookeeper at the St. Louis Zoo, and conducted a successful enrichment study with the zoo’s American river otters.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with an emphasis in animal behavior from Washington University in St. Louis.

Julie Scardina
Animal Ambassador for Busch Entertainment Corporation

Julie Scardina is the Animal Ambassador for SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and Discovery Cove. Scardina makes more than 100 media appearances a year, highlighting the parks' commitment to animal entertainment, education and conservation. A regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Scardina also contributes a weekly "Animal Wise" segment on Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures and has made numerous appearances on other national TV programs, including Today, Live with Regis & Kelly and Martha Stewart.

Scardina’s role as Animal Ambassador includes personal appearances at the Worlds of Discovery® parks, speaking engagements, and online chat sessions with students. Scardina travels to remote areas of the world including Africa, Norway, Alaska, and Australia to learn firsthand about conservation issues and works with environmental partners to raise awareness while encouraging people to take part in local conservation efforts.

Scardina holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in biology from San Diego State University. She earned an associate’s degree in exotic animal training and management from Moorpark College in California. She is president of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association, a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, and International Association of Avian Trainers & Educators.

Jack Hanna
Animal Expert

Jack Hanna, host of the popular television series, “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures,” is one of America’s most beloved naturalists and adventurers. His television series introduces viewers to exotic and endangered animals and their habitats.

Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo since 1983, Hanna has an extensive zoological background, including three doctoral degrees. He is a Professional Fellow of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and makes countless personal appearances and speeches throughout the United States and on national television. A frequent guest on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Larry King Live,” Hanna also serves as the wildlife correspondent for ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Hanna has lent more than 20 years of experience to the Worlds of Discovery® parks and makes appearances at the parks throughout the year.

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