A broom and a pan. That\u2019s all it took to set in motion Tony Moore\u2019s successful 30-year career in the hospitality and entertainment industry.<\/p>\n
As a college student, the Class of 1992 alumnus picked up a part-time, entry-level job in operations at Sea World. He put his ego aside and got to sweeping.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was able to humble myself, realize it was a job and be the best that I could be at it,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
That mindset is what helped Moore work his way up the leadership ladder at some of the biggest names in the theme park world and most recently land him the role of park director for A Gathering Place for Tulsa. A project of George Kaiser Family Foundation, the new park will span nearly 100 acres of Tulsa\u2019s waterfront along the Arkansas River.<\/p>\n
Moore grew up in Jamaica with his grandparents and uncle. College brought him to the United States, and since his father lived in Orlando, he decided to attend Valencia for two years before transferring to UCF.<\/p>\n
He can remember when Dr. John C. Hitt was named UCF\u2019s president.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m quite pleased to see where the university has come,\u201d Moore said. \u201cAt the time [I attended], it was a small university, but you could clearly see it was a university with ambition to be bigger than what it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
A business administration major, Moore got into the theme park business strictly by chance. His uncle worked at Sea World, and Moore lived less than 10 miles from the park for an easy commute.<\/p>\n
As years went by, he took the opportunities that presented themselves.<\/p>\n
He worked with Universal Studios and helped with the opening of Islands of Adventure. He returned to Sea World to dabble in marketing before serving as the director of operations for Discovery Cove. He eventually took on the role of Sea World\u2019s Director of Environmental, Health and Safety Services.<\/p>\n
When the parks were still owned by the Anheuser-Busch company, he migrated to St. Louis, Missouri, to work as the executive assistant to the CEO and learn about the corporate business. His work even brought him to Asia to explore the concept of international parks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good thing about what Central Florida offered was the opportunity to learn so many different aspects of the business,\u201d he said. \u201cThat diversity of experience is what positioned me for the next opportunity, which was the chief operating officer for Lowry Park Zoo and currently for my job here now in Tulsa.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was while he was at Tampa\u2019s Lowry Park Zoo that he received a call about the park project in Tulsa. Moore was initially skeptical about moving his family away from the tourism mecca of Florida to Oklahoma, but when he talked to the leadership behind the park\u2019s vision and visited the city, he knew he couldn\u2019t say no.<\/p>\n
A Gathering Place for Tulsa is the largest private gift to a public park in U.S. history and aims to be a cornerstone for the community while improving social, economic and environmental sustainability in the city. It is estimated to attract one million visitors annually.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was blown away with the mission behind the park and the true sense of provision and care for the city,\u201d Moore said. \u201cThe mission side of the foundation is really what won me over.\u201d<\/p>\n
The park\u2019s management team was thrilled to bring Moore aboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis extensive knowledge base of park management, finance, marketing and facilities are unmatched,\u201d said Jeff Stava, executive director and trustee of Tulsa\u2019s Gathering Place, LLC. \u201cAdditionally, Tony is a family man who understands the vision of building an inclusive park for all Tulsans and is someone who leads by example. An extremely motivated and energetic leader, Tony will be a huge asset to the community as he works to bring the park to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore\u2019s job is to operate every aspect of the park and be responsible for every guest experience from entry to exit. He said his secret to success is management by wandering around \u2013 a leadership style he learned early in his career from the now president and COO of Universal Orlando Resort, Bill Davis.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to get hands on. You can\u2019t manage it from the office,\u201d he said. \u201cIn addition to that, you have to have a passion for what you do. In the theme park business it\u2019s long hours. It\u2019s vacations, holidays, weekends. When families are choosing to seek time to spend together, you have to be there to operate the park. You have to have a passion for what you do, but it\u2019s a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moore was announced as the park\u2019s director in mid-August. After his initial introduction to the Tulsa community, he said he was pleasantly surprised how many Knights from the area contacted him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had so many folks that reached out to me to say their kids went to UCF or they are from Central Florida and familiar with the university,\u201d Moore said. \u201cIt was a proud moment for me to be associated with UCF.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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