Wild Adventures Announces Leadership Changes

• Adam Floyd

VALDOSTA, Ga. – Herschend Enterprises, parent company of Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Ga,. announced today that the park’s Vice President and General Manager, Molly Deese, has been named the Executive Director and Vice President of Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey, and Jon Vigue has been promoted to the position of General Manager and Vice President of the park.

Deese is a 30-year theme park industry veteran who joined Wild Adventures in 2008 to oversee retail operations. Her impressive career spans three decades with some of the industry’s most well-regarded and popular attractions, including Carowinds Theme Park in Charlotte, NC and Kings Dominion Theme Park in Richmond, VA.

Deese was promoted to General Manager and Vice President in 2012. During her tenure, Wild Adventures saw the addition of several new rides, a multi-million dollar expansion to Splash Island Waterpark and the building of Discovery Outpost, one of the largest transformations in the park’s history.

As the new Executive Director and Vice President of Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey, Deese will oversee an aquarium that was ranked the seventh best in the country by USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice Awards.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Valdosta and at Wild Adventures,” said Deese. “It’s been a pleasure to witness the growth and transformation of both the park and this community over more than a decade. I have no doubt that Wild Adventures will continue to thrive under Jon’s leadership.”

Vigue began his career with Palace Entertainment’s Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut where he spent 18-years holding key leadership roles in brand enhancement projects, holiday events and the expansion of the property’s water park and overnight accommodations. He served as the park’s Assistant General Manager for eight years before joining Wild Adventures as Director of Revenue, Security and Safety in 2016. Jon quickly made his mark, overseeing major capital projects and improving quality and profitability in food and merchandise departments. He was promoted to Assistant General Manager in 2019, to prepare him for eventually taking the top position at Wild Adventures. He is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Lowndes.

“I am humbled and excited about my new role leading the amazing team at Wild Adventures,” said Vigue. “We are extremely fortunate to be part of this great community and we remain committed to providing first class entertainment for this region for many years to come.

Jon and his wife Lindsey, their daughter Lilah and dog Tucker, have called Valdosta home since 2016.

Both Wild Adventures and Adventure Aquarium are part of Herschend Enterprises, headquartered in Peachtree Corners, GA. Herschend Enterprises is the nation’s largest family-owned themed attractions corporation. Herschend develops and operates entertainment, tourism and hospitality properties that currently span 23 locations in six states including Dollywood Parks & Resorts and the World-Famous Harlem Globetrotters.

Wild Adventures Theme Park is located at the halfway point between Atlanta, Ga. and Orlando, Fla. off Interstate 75 and is home to more than 40 family and thrill rides, hundreds of exotic animals, dozens of concerts and special events each year and Splash Island Waterpark, named as one of the “Top 30 Waterparks” in the country by U.S. News and World Report. Wild Adventures is ranked as the Fifth Most Affordable Theme Park in America in the Theme Park Price Index published by HomeToGo and the Top Theme Park Deal in Georgia by Yahoo! Finance.