Neal Thurman has been named Park President of Los Angeles-based theme parks Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor.
Thurman will replace former park president, Bonnie Sherman Weber, who will be joining the Six Flags corporate team in Texas as SVP, In-Park Services. In October, she told Blooloop that the attractions industry “gets in your blood.”
Thurman spent seven years at Six Flags Magic Mountain beginning in 2007 as the Director of Operations – so this announcement is considered a homecoming.
“Neal is one of the best and brightest minds in the theme park industry. He is an outstanding leader, whose knowledge of park operations is unmatched,” said Six Flags Senior Vice President of U.S. Park Operations, Thomas Iven. “He is already very familiar with Magic Mountain—the employees, and the culture, so he is very well-suited to lead this park.”
Thurman said: “I am very excited about rejoining one of the leading theme park properties in the world. Having worked at Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor previously, I look forward to ‘coming home’ and contributing to the park’s exciting future.”
Thurman has been with Six Flags for more than 22 years. Most recently, he acted as the park president of Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. He comes to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor with a focus on the team member experience and a passion for providing outstanding guest service.
Thurman was formerly the park president at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. His Six Flags career began in 1995 at Six Flags Over Georgia where he gained expertise in Operations, Human Resources, Guest Relations and Safety Management.
In 2003, he relocated to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom as the Operations Manager before becoming the Director of Operations and Administration at the Six Flags park in Louisville.
Weber will now be based in Dallas, Texas in her new position as SVP, In-Park Services. She will be leading the company’s in-park revenue generating departments, including culinary services, retail, games, attractions, rentals, and parking.
Images: Six Flags
