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Our team

TOM ZALLER

TOM ZALLER, PRESIDENT & CEO

Tom Zaller is a 25-year veteran of the entertainment and exhibition industries and has been instrumental in creating, producing and marketing some of the world’s most popular exhibitions and attractions seen by more than 50 million people worldwide.

Beginning with his work in the late 90’s at SFX/Clear Channel Exhibitions and continuing today with Imagine Exhibitions, Tom has created, produced, and marketed more than 50 unique educational and entertaining exhibitions and touring shows to over 250 venues across hundreds of cities and over 30 countries in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. Tom has worked with countless of the industry’s leading science centers, museums, zoos, aquariums, promoters, casinos, and integrated resorts to increase attendance and achieve mission goals through sophisticated, high-quality exhibitions. Earning a reputation as a trusted partner in delivering the world’s most compelling story-driven immersive experiences, Tom has worked with a number of internationally-recognized brands in the development of ground-breaking exhibitions, including Rovio (Angry Birds Universe: The Art & Science Behind a Global Phenomenon), Lionsgate (The Hunger Games: The Exhibition), Universal Brand Development (Jurassic World: The Exhibition), and NBCU International (Downtown Abbey: The Exhibition). His work on innovative exhibitions like Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Downton Abbey: The Exhibition, REAL BODIES The Exhibition, Dinosaurs in Motion, The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, and Star Trek: The Exhibition (to name a few) transformed the exhibition industry by introducing priceless objects and their stories to the world in a fully engaging, content-rich environment unlike anything seen before. Most notably, his careful handling of Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition during his tenure with Premier Exhibitions led to the successful production of over 100 international and domestic Titanic exhibitions, making Titanic the world’s most popular exhibition with over 25 million visitors worldwide.

In addition to producing traveling exhibitions, Tom also designs, opens, and operates permanent installations and venues, and consults on building, expanding, and directing museums and attractions. In this capacity, Tom served as the Founding Director of Singapore’s ArtScience Museum, where he collaborated with multiple local and global teams to carefully craft the museum’s identity and structure as well as developing overall programming, staffing, marketing and operations for the museum which is now a premier destination and a notable feature in the Singapore skyline.

As President and CEO of Imagine Exhibitions, a leader in global traveling entertainment, Tom and his team are leaders in the fields of immersive design, attractions, and entertainment who consistently create and implement memorable and thought-provoking environments. Tom intimately understands the requirements for creating groundbreaking attractions and has overseen all aspects of numerous sell-out exhibitions.

Tom consistently delivers the highest quality exhibitions through a deep passion and firm dedication to every project. His extensive network of worldwide partners coupled with his drive for success make Imagine Exhibitions a top player in the museum and exhibition industries. He was named one of the top 50 museum influencers in 2020 by Blooloop for his significant contributions to cultural institutions worldwide.

 
 
DEBBIE DONOHUE

DEBBIE DONOHUE, COO & VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

Debbie has been with Imagine Exhibitions since its inception. With 13 years of experience in the entertainment sector, and over 20 in the sales and education sector, Debbie is uniquely positioned to lead the global sales team. Her leadership includes setting the strategy, identifying and evaluating new business opportunities, new verticals, and new revenue streams. In her time with Imagine Exhibitions, Debbie has contributed to over 50 traveling exhibitions. Imagine Exhibitions is a proud, long-time sponsor and exhibitor at the Association of Science and Technology Centers, American Alliance of Museums, European Network of Science Centres and Museums, Traveling Exhibitions Network, Canadian Association of Science Centers and more. You can find Debbie and the team at these conferences worldwide!

Debbie works hand in hand with our partners to deliver the world’s best traveling exhibitions, including partners, Scitech Discovery Centre, Thomas Dambo, Universcience, Dr. Erickson, Sean Kenney and more to create and/or produce turnkey traveling exhibitions worldwide that drive attendance to host venues.

In her role as COO of the core exhibition business, Debbie manages cross-functional teams to create and execute new exhibitions for science centers, museums, zoos, gardens, and fairs globally. Debbie’s work continues to push sales efforts in raising the overall profile of Imagine Exhibitions as an industry leader in museums, attractions, entertainment, and experiences.

Debbie serves on the AAM Traveling Exhibition Network Board and was instrumental in creating resources and community building during the pandemic.

Before joining Imagine Exhibitions, Debbie worked in international business development in academia for 10 years, interfacing with corporations and universities around the world. Her passion is where education and entertainment intersect to inspire visitors!

 
 
CHRIS ANDERSON

CHRIS ANDERSON, SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER

Chris leads the Production team at Imagine Exhibitions, working with production staff to produce exhibitions ranging from 2 to 40 trucks! Chris has 20+ years of experience in the Events & Entertainment industry including 17 years touring traveling exhibitions. Chris’s imaginative problem solving skills and methodically organized approach to team management and daily procedures make him an invaluable asset.

Through work with major blockbuster exhibitions across the globe such as Diana A Celebration , Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, America, I Am, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, Pompeii : The Exhibition , SNL The Experience, Real Pirates, Sea Monsters Revealed , The Hunger Games: The Exhibition, Jurassic World: The Exhibition, Downton Abbey: The SciTech’s portfolio of exhibitions, Chris has gained the on-site industry knowledge and skills required to make any exhibition load-in or load-out, whether it’s 2 trucks traveling 100 miles or 30 sea containers circumnavigating the world, look easy.

 
 
RICHARD ERPENBECK

RICHARD ERPENBECK, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF LEGAL AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS

With over 30 years of diverse business, legal, contract lifecycle, and management expertise, Rick serves as Imagine Exhibitions' Senior Director of Legal and Business Affairs. In this role, he balances corporate objectives with legal duties and risks while negotiating, documenting, and ensuring compliance for content licensing, promotions, and other related matters. Holding both a Juris Doctorate and PMP Certifications, Rick works on the executive team to deliver legal expertise and sound process controls. While working calmly in our fast paced and high-pressure environment, he brings order to multiple threads and priorities, maintains a sense of humor, and lives the mantra – Actually, I can!

Before joining Imagine Exhibitions, Rick spent the previous decade in Themed Entertainment with the Universal Creative legal division at Universal Destinations & Experiences, most recently as Director of Contracts for the new Universal Studios park in Beijing, China. As the executive lead of an award-winning international contracting team, he provided end-to-end supervision of planning, development, manufacturing, installation, testing, and final acceptance/approval for the park's 21 attractions, 4 rollercoasters, and 1 water ride. Rick worked on the project from cradle to grave. He drafted the very first contract for a land survey for a large piece of land in Beijing for a “possible future” company investment, and he managed the last vendor contract closeout almost 10 years and many thousands of contracts later. In addition, Rick played vital contracting roles for other Universal projects including Skull Island: Reign of Kong, Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, and multiple unannounced projects.

When he’s not working, you can find him engaged in home improvement projects, usually in the garage honing his woodworking skills. From classic colonial breakfast nook window benches with hidden storage to very stylish custom bed ramps for the dogs, if a solution doesn’t exist yet, Rick will craft one.

 

 
 
Kimberly Huff

KIMBERLY HUFF, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL VENUE OPERATIONS

Kimberly Huff brings almost 30 years of operations management experience to Imagine Exhibitions, mostly in a Director role and at one of the most iconic structures in Las Vegas. As one of the first hires for the Imagine Exhibitions Vegas Team, Kim has helped to build and scale the Imagine Exhibitions portfolio in this region which so far has included opening two exhibitions and two concept bar venues.

Her most recent experience prior to Imagine Exhibitions included managing all attraction box offices under the Caesar’s Las Vegas portfolio including High Roller Wheel, Eiffel Tower, Real Bodies, and FlyLINQ, Prior to that she worked as the Director of Operations of the Stratosphere Tower, Attractions, 44 Retail Outlets, Ticketing and much more with a total of 200 team members. Kim worked for the Stratosphere Tower for 25 years and has opened several new attractions and retail installations to include Xscream thrill ride, Insanity, and the SkyJump. Kim has also enjoyed consulting for attraction’s operations, show prop manufacturers and for suppliers of licensed NHL gear.

When not working, Kim spends time volunteering for her favorite local charities, enjoys family time, and is an avid amateur ghost hunter. She is born and raised, second-generation Nevadan, and loves her Vegas Golden Knights.

 
 
Jenny Johnson

JENNY JOHNSON, HEAD OF FINANCE

Jenny Johnson is a seasoned financial professional with over a decade of expertise in finance and accounting. As the Head of Finance, Jenny plays a pivotal role in shaping financial strategy and ensuring the fiscal success of Imagine Exhibitions. Prior to joining Imagine Exhibitions, Jenny spent her career consulting growing businesses by creating their systems, processes, and people. Throughout her career, she has honed her skills and gained in-depth knowledge which have allowed her to successfully contribute to, and lead Imagine Exhibitions through an explosive period of growth.

In her role, Jenny has built and leads financial and accounting operations, budget planning, financial analysis, and risk management. Her leadership and strategic insights have been instrumental in our continued success. She's not only a financial expert but also a mentor to the team, fostering a culture of accountability and innovation.

Beyond the office, Jenny likes to do home renovation projects, cook, bake, and spend time with her kids and husband.

 
 
DEBBIE DONOHUE

SHAWN MCCOY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & CREATIVE STRATEGY

For over 25 years, Shawn McCoy has provided overall strategy, concept and business development for a wide variety of attractions and cultural destinations around the world. Shawn takes an active role in projects, participating from early brainstorming meetings to opening day.

Shawn has written several internationally published articles concerning the museum and attractions industry and regularly speaks at conferences, seminars and other events for organizations such as the Themed Entertainment Association, Association of Children’s Museums, ECSITE and NASA. For over a decade, he has presented the Museum Day session “Emerging Trends in Immersive Design” at the annual IAAPA Expo for capacity audiences. He has been interviewed as a trends expert by mainstream publications and media such as Forbes, USA Today and CNN.

In 2020, Shawn was named to the inaugural Blooloop 50 Museum Influencer List. This list recognizes and celebrates 50 of the most influential people from around the world who have demonstrated the creativity and drive to affect real change in the museum community.

Shawn’s experience extends across the entertainment, sports and interpretive community. Shawn has worked with clients including NBC, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Sony, Crayola, Hasbro, National Comedy Center, Science Centre Singapore and Space Center Houston.

Shawn has undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Finance from the University of Cincinnati. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Xavier University.

 

 

 
Rick O'Connell

RICK O'CONNELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DESIGN

Rick O’Connell brings over 20 years of design and production experience in the entertainment industry to Imagine Exhibitions. He is known for creating unique environments and visitor experiences all around the globe, while also maintaining great relationships with clients and fabricators. He leads the Creative team in developing new and exciting concepts and maintains the overall vision of projects through production.

Before joining Imagine Exhibitions, Rick was an award-winning Senior Project Director with JRA where he led the design efforts on many exciting projects in the museum, visitor center, and theme park worlds. He has partnered with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry to create travelling exhibits for Friends, The Office, Harry Potter, and Prince. Rick has an extensive background in designing Children’s Museums as well, where he has designed and opened 10+ on four different continents. He has also worked with many major brands and agencies to create unique and exciting visitor attractions, including Ferrari World, the World of Coca-Cola, Hasbro, Angry Birds, NASA, Gatorade, Zippo and more.

When not working, you can usually find Rick on a court or in a field, coaching his three kids and their multiple sports teams. He’s also on a quest to visit all of the National Parks in the US with his family and enjoys going to concerts with his wife.

 
 
Doug Peer

DOUG PEER, DIRECTOR OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Doug Peer’s roots in the themed entertainment world go back to hammers, nails, and loading trucks. From his start on the shop floor to project management, he’s continued to grow his experience and expertise each step of the way. He’s known for building teams that work together and find creative solutions to daily challenges. There is always some way to move forward!

Over the past decade, he’s spent most of his time bringing the small screen and big screen to life. He’s led teams building traveling experiences for Harry Potter, Friends, The Office, and Prince. He also got the opportunity to work with Chance the Rapper bringing Christmas to the world during the pandemic by recreating some of everyone’s favorite holiday scenes. The biggest takeaway through all these projects is that details matter… especially to fans.

When not working, Doug can be found chasing his two kids around the house or trying to squeeze in a movie or sports event. Fun fact he runs a Fantasy Olympics League with friends and family. Go Team USA!

 
 
Bill Pinkston

BILL PINKSTON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF RETAIL

William, (Bill), Pinkston has over 30 years of experience as a retail industry leader. He is known for providing exciting innovative merchandising concepts and product assortments, and leading successful operational teams within the specialty retail, and themed entertainment industries.

Over the course of his career, Bill has successfully managed and directed the growth of several top U.S. retail companies including: GapKids, Gymboree, and J. Crew.

Shifting his focus to Themed Entertainment, Bill served as head of the Retail division for Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles for over 11 years. During his tenure at Six Flags, Bill directed the merchandising and visual merchandising efforts for Warner Bros. Movie World in Madrid, Spain for its grand opening.

Bill joined the team at Warner Bros. Consumer Products in the themed entertainment division to oversee the development of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” within the Universal Studios Theme Parks in the U.S. and Japan. This led to a move to the United Arab Emirates to lead the retail development for Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, a fully immersive experience of WB brands completely indoors.

In Abu Dhabi, his responsibility soon grew to include the retail oversight, direction and development for Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld, Sea World Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Watan (the Presidential Palace) and a consulting role with the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum.

As an International Retail Consultant, Bill has developed and restructured retail concepts in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America.

Bill holds a BS degree in business management from the University of Florida. The product of a military family, Bill has lived in 11 U.S. states, 4 European countries, (Austria, Germany, Italy, France), China, Sri Lanka, and most recently, the United Arab Emirates.

 
 
Bill Pinkston

MACKENZIE ROLLISON, VICE PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY, LAS VEGAS

MacKenzie Rollison's most recent experience includes working as the Senior Director of Distribution Sales for Live Entertainment and Attractions, at Caesars Entertainment. Over the course of a decade at Caesars Entertainment, she opened, reimagined, and developed/implemented the strategic sales direction for the organizations leading attractions business. Additionally, she represented some of Las Vegas's most iconic installations including the High Roller Observation Wheel, Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck, and Fly Linq Zipline.

When MacKenzie is not working, she is chasing her two toddlers around, spending time with her husband, family, and animals, and listening to a good true crime podcast.

 

 
Laurie B. Squire

LAURIE B. SQUIRE, VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Laurie brings over 30 years of experience in the entertainment sector to the Imagine Exhibitions team. She was recently promoted to this role where she directs the strategy and execution of multichannel marketing campaigns aimed at maximizing sales and revenue. She leads the marketing team in raising the overall profile of Imagine Exhibitions as an industry leader in museums, attractions, entertainment, brand activations, and experiences. They are tasked with increasing inbound sales leads and supporting the team in identifying and evaluating new business opportunities and revenue streams for Imagine Exhibitions.

In her previous role as Director of Ticketing & Business Insights, she was responsible for driving ticket sales across Imagine Exhibitions’ portfolio of exhibitions. Laurie managed relationships with ticketing and customer service partners, spearheaded group sales strategy, and conducted market and audience data analysis to better understand and reach potential visitors.

Before joining Imagine Exhibitions, Laurie started the group sales and tourism effort at Chicago’s Field Museum during her 18 years there. During that time, she was a part of teams that launched over 35 permanent and temporary exhibitions including Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs with over 1 million visitors. She also spent four years leading the sales and customer service teams at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. In previous roles, she gained event planning, tourism and hospitality experience focusing on creating strategic partnerships to drive sales through all channels. She has deep experience in interpreting sales data and developing keen business insights that help drive data-based decision making. She also was the Ladies Division winner of a hot dog eating contest in her community just outside Chicago several years ago.

 
 

Brand & Licensing

Dalton Tuell,
Director of Branded Content and Strategic Partnerships

Olivia Doyle,
Brand Manager

Alexandria Holt,
Brand Manager

Creative

Travis Allen,
Design Director Las Vegas

Tom Ryan,
Design Director

Alix Salzinger,
Associate Director, Graphic Design

Pana Thitaram,
Senior Production Designer/Art Director

Ryan Cooper,
Creative Producer

Ashlie Bennett,
Design Project Manager

Steven Gross,
Senior Production Designer

Nick Passafiume,
Senior Production Designer

Vincent Yap,
Senior Technical Designer

Chris Christiana,
Research & Design Associate, Business Development

Christie Coyle,
Graphic Production Designer

Océane Juskowiak,
Production Designer

Lani Daes,
Creative Coordinator

Digital Marketing

Leah Koch,
Digital Marketing Director: Web + Eblasts

Brittany Vaill,
Social Media Manager

Kevin Diaz,
Social Media Coordinator

Jayme Graham,
Digital Marketing Coordinator: Web + Email

Finance

John Van Ginkel,
Controller

Akira Acuna,
Senior Accountant

Debralee Belmont,
Accounts Payable Manager

Samantha Clinton,
Staff Accountant

Alyssa Eucker,
Accounts Payable Coordinator

Christina Sewell,
Bookkeeper

Las Vegas Beverage

David Howell,
Beverage Manager of The Cabinet and Lock

Elle VanBuren,
Food and Beverage Supervisor

Las Vegas Exhibitions

Craig Sciuto,
Director of Operations - Las Vegas

Misty O’Connor,
Senior Operations & Retail Manager

Jon Beckmann,
Assistant Manager

Brad Dawson,
Assistant Operations and Retail Manager - Luxor

Al Dejoria,
Facilities Operations Supervisor

Kyle Gott,
Operations Administrator

Las Vegas Office

AJ Smith,
Warehouse Manager

Denver Mitchell,
Stock Clerk

Joseph Muniz,
Warehouse Receiver

Marketing & Communications

Joy Deibert,
Director of Public Relations

Carey Randall,
Director of Marketing

Jessi Esparza,
Marketing Graphic Designer

Rebecca Palazesi,
Marketing Administrative Assistant

Operations & Admin

Emily Knapp,
Director of Exhibition Operations

Claudia Osher,
Payroll & HR Manager

Eric Huynh,
Senior Harry Potter: The Exhibition Manager

Crystal Lewis,
Payroll Assistant

Kayla Rieves,
Project Analyst

Michelle Ruddy,
Executive Assistant

Segrid Turner,
Payroll/HR Assistant

Production

Michael Albury,
Production Manager

Tucker Blandford,
Production Manager

Joey Lambert,
Production Manager

Tommy Yurko,
Production Manager

Rodrick Adams,
Atlanta Warehouse and Facilities Operator

Alyssa Evans,
Production Coordinator

Project Management

Deanna Taylor,
Project Manager - Team Lead

Rachel Lupo,
Project Manager

Katrina Mutuc,
Project Manager

Heidi Parlato,
Project Manager

Nell Selengbe,
Project Manager

Kenzie Robbins,
Project Coordinator

Promotion

Kara Callahan,
Senior Director of Marketing

Patrice Cleaves,
Senior Director of Sales & Marketing

Katie Restuccia,
Sales & Marketing Manager

Retail Creative

Sanjaya Lakmal,
Retail Design Director

Mario Concepcion,
Visual Merchandiser

Retail Logistics

David Cook,
Director of Retail Systems, Logistics, and Accounting

DeeAnn Anumel,
Senior Manager Inventory Planning and Allocation

Adam Schriener,
Retail A/P & Logistics Support Manager

Adrian Jakob,
Retail Warehouse Supervisor

Retail Operations

Michael Slagle,
VP of Retail Operations

Matthew Chavis,
Director of Store Operations

George Ruje,
Retail General Manager, Europe/Middle East

Justin Bertrand,
Retail Store Manager, Harry Potter: The Exhibition — North America

Retail Product Development

Carol Borota,
Director of Product Development - Apparel, Jewelry, Accessories

Danielle Cole,
Director of Product Development Apparel & Accessories

Hortensia Haro,
Director of Product Development

Pam Johnson,
Director of Retail Product Development, Las Vegas

Tiffanee Green,
Associate Buyer

Sales

Angela Henry,
Senior Director of Sales

Troy Rainville,
Senior Director of Business Development

Joe Laudicano,
Tour & Routing Manager

Brianna Gribler,
Marketing Account Manager

Mallory Glaser,
Business Development Coordinator

Ticketing & Marketing Operations

Sarah Levy,
Director of Marketing Operations

Luisa Miller,
Ticketing Operations Coordinator

 
 
 
 
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