Each year, Adventure Park Insider receives nominations for folks who are making an positive impact where they work—people admired by their peers and bosses for their problem solving, innovation, dedication, skill, and passion. “Rising Stars” recognizes some of the many talented team members leading the aerial adventure industry to success.
This year’s crop of peer-nominated leaders brims with potential. They share savvy and a hunger for learning. Some have developed new programs and new courses. Others have helped long-established teams and operations find new potential and opportunity. All of them are always up for a challenge.
Get to know the “Rising Stars” class of 2024.
PETER BERRY, Miracle Heights Adventure Manager, Crossnore Communities for Children, N.C.
Diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are more than just buzzwords to Peter Berry, manager of Miracle Heights Adventure, an experiential learning program with an aerial adventure park, aerial “teams course,” and low ropes course at the Winston-Salem campus of Crossnore Communities for Children, a North Carolina nonprofit child welfare agency.
Using his dual background in education and outdoor adventure, Berry has helped more than 20 schools from Forsyth and neighboring counties apply for and receive grant funding through the North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission to support their outdoor field trips to Miracle Heights.
He has also been a trailblazer in developing adaptive aerial adventure programing in the state, says a nominator: “Peter—in partnership with a dozen local organizations, working with and led by people with disabilities—has helped create the infrastructure and procedures necessary for MHA (Miracle Heights Adventure) to be able to offer adaptive programming, which is potentially the first/only program of its kind in the state.”
What led you to this career? I grew up in Scouting, where I did amazing outdoor activities as a youth. I took part in outdoor programs like ropes and whitewater rafting in college, and it was just always such a joy.
But as much as it was a joy for me to experience, it was even more joyful to share it. It was a no brainer: this was what I wanted to do.
You have worked on both collegiate and park educational programs. Why are outdoor programs like these valuable? It’s a great co-curricular opportunity. It builds resilience, drives a sense of belonging, and has clearly demonstrated that it drives both overall school retention rates and academic success.
Have you had any notable mentors along the way? Two come to mind. First, from back in Scouting, our camp director Great Harmon. He had big visions for us and realized we weren’t going to get there if we weren’t caring for the team trying to make those big things happen. Things like paying out of his own pocket at times to make sure the team had what it needed; I learned a lot from that.
And Andrew Florence, who is [director of experiential learning]here at Crossnore. He has some lofty and magical aspirations for our program—and he’s not afraid to go after them. That’s creating ripples, and I’m all in on that.
Could you share a “this is why I do this” moment? Recently in our adaptive programing, we created an opportunity on the ropes course for everyone of just about every ability to be able to come out and do it. I can tell you, it is such a cool experience for us—the staff—to see all this cool stuff happen at height. But the best part? Those big, excited eyes and the high fives of the guests. I mean, wow. That’s priceless.
What would you tell a child or young adult considering this field? I’d give them a lot of encouragement. There’s a lot of opportunity here, and it’s very rewarding work. And then there’s using the outdoors as a workplace. That’s what drew me in. It’s a fantastic way to work … and live.
HANNAH BRUNCK, Field Trainer, US National Whitewater Center, N.C.
Sometimes the thing you truly think you cannot do ends up being the thing you do so very well. Just ask Hannah Brunck. When she came across an adventure park job by chance in her college years, her first thought was, “But I’m wildly afraid of heights.”
Her second thought—“Why not give it a try?”—led to her not just overcoming (or perhaps learning to lean into and live with) her fears, but to her becoming a “beloved field trainer,” says a nominator, who can take anyone, even those as scared as she once was, and transform them into aerial adventure rock stars.
As a field trainer at the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., Hannah “is highly respected and sought after by her peers, and she has a deep love for seeing her coworkers succeed,” says a nominator, adding, “I have never met anyone in this industry quite like Hannah. I’m so excited to see where her career takes her.”
How does your fear of heights inform you as a trainer and adventure park employee? I was incredibly nervous and scared of heights when I started, so I’d just be all “I love heights!” under my breathe and in my head. I wouldn’t say my fear went away; I just learned to get past it. And through that fear and that process, I realized I was better at understanding that fear in everyone else. Which led me to stay in this field. I have a knack—from personal experience—for calming people down, which is often needed in training for this work.
Do you have a mentor/supporter who really steps up for you? Oh yes, Greg Rich [director of inspections and training]with Beanstalk Builders. He did my original training. He understood my hesitation and knew just how to help me see that I’ve got this, I can do this, and I can do awesome things. We are still close and stay in touch. I joke that I’m his extra child.
What’s your favorite part of the average work day? I like training people, helping them feel confident and secure. I like to get to know each person. Are they Type A or B? Are they verbal or written learners? And then adapt the training for them. It’s an interesting process, and I get to see the results first hand.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in this field (aside from conquering the fear)? My age. I’m only 22, and I did start this career kind of spur-of-the-moment, so I do sense doubt in people sometimes. I’m seeking to move up, but my age is holding me back. It’s crazy that I’m able to do this (be a field trainer) at so young an age, but I am able. And sometimes people don’t see that because I’m young. But I see it in myself. I have confidence in me.
SAMANTHA DREGER, Park Supervisor, The Adventure Park at Heritage Museum and Gardens, Mass.
On a family vacation long ago, Samantha Dreger’s uncle propelled her into her adventure park career with a push. Dreger was standing atop the start of a zip line in Las Vegas. Shaking and uncertain, she wasn’t convinced that she wanted to do it. To her surprise, her uncle reached out and pushed her off, sending her flying across the hot desert sky. While not typically advisable, the outcome in this case was a happy one. “At the end of that, I said: I’m going to work here some day,” says Dreger.
While she actually went on to become a law clerk, that memory—and dream—stuck with her. Bored with her desk job, she, “on a whim,” applied to become a zip line guide, and has never looked back.
Dreger has an “exceptional customer service focus and ability to collaborate effectively with her peers,” says a nominator. She has served as a guide and team lead as well as in course maintenance and building roles. Today, as supervisor of the newly reopened Adventure Park at Heritage Gardens and Museum in Sandwich, Mass., says a nominator, Dreger has “proved herself to be the perfect choice for spearheading the reopening efforts and played a crucial role in rebuilding the park from the ground up. Her future looks bright.”
You had the experience of helping build a park from the ground up. What’s that like? Well, my first season (with The Adventure Park on Long Island, a sister property to Heritage), I traveled and did builds and maintenance, so I learned a lot. I came into this knowing it’s a lot of work on a short deadline. But I saw it as: How efficiently can we get this work done and still make it beautiful? I thought to myself, ‘This is going to be my park. I want it to be beautiful.’
I had never routed a course before and had never seen [construction of]one from the start. To see it from tape on the trees to building platforms to getting into use was a cool experience.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in this industry? Doubting myself. I entered as a tour guide and then a park monitor. As I got into maintenance and learning skills I never had before in an industry I did not know before, I had to keep reminding myself I’m completely capable. Sometimes I’d ask myself where my confidence was. To answer, I’d look back on other projects I’d worked on and tell myself to remember, ‘I believe in myself, and I can do this.’
Is there a trait you feel makes you stand out? My ambition is what I’m most proud of. I did this on a whim, and four seasons later, I’m still here and still making steps forward. Maintenance is what I’ve found I’m really passionate about. That’s what drives that ambition every day. Every project is different and a chance to learn and experience something new.
What do you think about that uncle’s push today? I’m really thankful for it. I’ve always struggled with anxiety, and people don’t know or value what working outside can do for that. This work has helped me deal with losses, and that push got me into this. I’ll tell you this: I will never go back to an office job.
KELTON FICK, “Jack of All Trades,” Experiential Systems Inc.
When it comes to Kelton Fick, the sobriquet “Jack of All Trades” is two things: the highest of praise as well as his actual job title at Experiential Systems Inc.
Like many in the industry, Fick started his career as a zip line guide. He quickly rose through the ranks to become a park manager at Rogue Valley Zipline Adventures in Oregon, where he was tapped to join the ranks at Experiential Systems as a field technician because, says a nominator, “his potential was too great to overlook.” Since joining the team, Fick has “proven to be an invaluable asset”—the scope of whose role can’t be captured in ordinary job titles.
“His resiliency, business acumen, and passion for the aerial adventure industry have already begun to shape our operations and will continue to influence the future of the industry,” says a nominator. You’ll see it yourself: Fick is set to co-present at more than a few upcoming industry-related conferences.
How did you come to work in this field? My first job was as a supervisor for a YMCA summer camp. I got to explore all over Oregon with all the kids, doing all sorts of cool things (rafting, canoeing, hiking and more). I loved it. It just felt like a natural fit.
I went back to school for outdoor adventure (at Rogue Community College) to learn zip line guiding and technical skills. I was into the technical aspect, the safety protocol. It just felt natural to me very quickly. Now, I’m five years into this job and I can see I have a knack for both filling holes and training others.
What is it about the training that speaks to you? I love being a part of and observing people going from being introduced to a completely new—and sometimes somewhat overwhelming— skill to [those people]being competent, confident, and capable. Every time, I find, it is a true “fill your cup” moment.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in this work? When I was managing a smaller park, I could enact any change I wanted and then in full sweep see those changes right away. Now, in a much larger organization and with a wider range of responsibilities, I cannot do that.
But you know what? There is real value in slowing the gears down, taking some time, and making sure things are right. So, I learn from my challenge.
Why does the work you do matter? Gosh, I think it does; probably more now than ever in this world. The option for an individual at any time to not just get out in nature but also face real adversity, overcome that and feel true success from it? I think the chances to do that are dwindling. We’re keeping that alive. So, to have a career dedicated solely to that, it gives me something vital: a chance to live a fulfilling, productive, and well-intentioned life.
WES HYNES, Site Manager, Go Ape USA, Texas
Twenty years ago, Wes Hynes was about to age out of his beloved Boy Scout summer camp when the camp approached him with an offer: Come on board as a staff member. Those six years on staff gave him hands-on learning about group dynamics (and how to manage them), experience teaching outdoor challenge elements, and a feeling that his career was somewhere in this space. But it was when he took an indoor ropes course at a college that he found his calling. “I walked in, looked around and said ‘OK, now how to I get a job here?’”
Now a site manager at Go Ape in Plano, Texas, Hynes is known for the thing he took most from those past experiences: building strong teams even in the most challenging of times. “He picked up where previous management had been lacking and he stepped in, prioritized the well-being of the staff, heard out all grievances and frustrations, and worked with his team to address and improve upon the morale and safety of the site—no small feat,” a nominator says, adding that Hynes “goes above and beyond to help others.”
In addition, he has been instrumental in creating brand-new leadership and development and team-building programs at Go Ape. “The activities Wes has helped create are customizable for the age and skills that the group is looking to develop—from field trips looking for early soft-skill development to corporate and military groups focused on stress inoculation and various modes of empathetic communication and critical-thinking skills,” says a nominator.
What’s your secret to building great morale? Plano had a lot of management turnover in a very short time. So, when I came in, the staff were almost all not even caring to meet me, because they’d lost trust in longevity. The first thing I said was, “I’m not going anywhere. I am sticking around.” And I also said that while I am the site manager and “in charge,” you all have been here longer. You know better than me. And then I enabled them, through rewards, games and other things, to feel empowered in their roles.
Tell us about the incentives you created. I developed an internal reward system. [Team members] earn points from customer surveys, from helping with maintenance and tasks, and by giving and getting [shout outs]to other staff. They can trade in points for free lunches and other perks. I also told them if they reach a total of 10,000 accumulated points as a staff, I’ll shave off my beard. And listen: I don’t shave off my beard. So, they know I’m invested.
You have a lot of confidence. Do you ever fail? Oh, sure. Generally, I am a trial-and-error kind of guy. I try things and see how they come along or not. The secret, though? I never really consider anything completely done. If you go into something with the intention of a lot of tweaking and growing, it tends to turn things from failure to success.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know if I’ll ever really grow up. When people say “what do you do?” I tell them I basically get paid to play games. So, growing up might not be essential here.
SAMANTHA ROBINSON, General Manager, Boundless Adventures, N.Y.
At Boundless Adventures, which has parks in Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin, Samantha Robinson is known as “the scheduling guru.” Give her a challenge—like a last-minute large group sign up or a weather hinderance—and she’s there, sleeves rolled up, ready to solve the puzzle.
“When curveballs get thrown (which we all know can happen at any moment), she reads them well and knocks them out of the park, typically with bases loaded,” a nominator says. Now a general manager at Boundless Adventures in Purchase, N.Y., Robinson is always at the ready to solve problems, get the team working well, and most of all, elevate the guest experience.
She’s been with Boundless Adventures “since the early days,” says a nominator, and “her skills within the industry sharpen each year, and her thirst for knowledge grows.”
What brought you to this industry? I was an environmental science major at Purchase College when a park was opened on campus, and I thought, “I think I’ll get a job there.” It was really cool and really fun. And since I lived locally, I could work for them year-round. I figured I’d do that until I graduated and then move on. But they needed new managers, so they promoted me from supervisor to manager and I thought, “I need to follow this road.” So I did, and here I am.
Tell us about a scheduling challenge/crisis you worked out well. It was the beginning of the month, and we had a group of 300 coming in in two groups of 150. I had borrowed six staff from other locations in advance to be ready. But one group was running and hour late, and then an electric cable goes down (cutting power to the site), and our electrician cannot come in. I called and called until I found one. The late group came in a half hour before closing. But we were able to give them a great experience, and then I had to—with the help of just two supervisors—close the park down (since other staff had to clock out).
It was chaotic; things were happening in every direction. But we—and I do mean we—did it. I think supporting very reliable supervisors is the secret.
What’s the biggest challenge you personally have faced in this field? When I started out it was me and a lot of guys, and I was really young. It seemed to really shock people—both other staff and guests—to see someone like me in a leadership role. But I tried not to let other people’s perceptions of me define me. Those perceptions are not relevant. I try to exude the confidence I have. I do run the park, and I am in charge; I make sure to always remember and show that.
Why stay in this field? Every day here is different. It’s always new, good or bad. I take pride in being part of a good working environment. A lot of people have had not-so-great managers, including us. The last guy wasn’t a great manager. So we, together, created a better work environment, one where none of us are just a cog in the wheel. It gives stability to the park, but also to all of us who work there. I really like being a part of making lives better like that.
FLORIN ULIANOV, General Manager, Coral Crater Adventure Park, Hawaii
If you could build the ideal adventure park general manager, you might have a “dream list” like this: an engineering background (for building and maintenance), calm and confident people skills (for maintaining a dedicated and passionate staff), a willingness to go above and beyond (for both staff and guests), and the drive to take on the most challenging of tasks (for problem solving with confidence).
Coral Crater Adventure Park in Hawaii found someone who checks those boxes in Florin “Flo” Ulianov. A Ukranian transplant with a degree in engineering, he personally built and maintains most of the park’s guest service and maintenance structures (gift shop, ATV repair shop, etc.). He also planned, designed, and helped install the off-the-grid park’s solar power system. As a team leader, he inspires confidence. And he took the time to teach himself the Hawaiian language—a commitment to cultural understanding and respect. Ulianov is the whole package.
“A role model for both guests and staff,” says a nominator, Ulianov’s “leadership is evident not only in his exceptional guest service but also in his hands-on approach.” Ulianov is an innovator with exceptional technical skills, the nominator adds. “His well-rounded skillset, dedication, and leadership qualities position him to make significant contributions to the industry’s future.”
How did you come to choose this field? It was honestly by chance. I needed a job and found one. But once I started, I kept getting promoted. What connected me to it was what connects most of us here: The freedom to make things the way we want things to be. We don’t have to wake up and feel like a robot at our jobs. We are humans. Thinking, caring humans. And this field embraces that.
You’ve taken on building a lot of things at the park yourself. Tell us about that. I do have a background in mechanical engineering, so that helps a little. But when you have all kinds of things to create—like trails for ATV’s built from the ground up, and I mean 3.5 miles of them—that’s a lot to take on.
But we did it. We are now a $1 million-plus grossing spot, when it was dying before this work. That’s pretty remarkable. But I cannot take credit—that goes to the old manager. I just came in and made it better, based on his vision.
What’s the biggest challenge you face? Nothing is really hard, but just like every manager does, I work with people and that can get complicated. My dad always said working with people is hard. We are all so different, and there are 45 of us working here. I take the time and effort to understand each individual but also to bond us with a common goal.
You have the unique one-two punch of technical expertise and the ability to understand and work well with people. Where did that come from? I’ve just always been that way. The engineering comes from hanging out with my father as a child. He’s in construction, and he often took me to work. I’d play with and learn from tools and extra materials.
The human side? That comes from both my parents. My father was a theater actor first. And my mom? She’s a true mom: sensitive yet sensible, emotional in the right way. So, I come directly from them.
