posted 02-10-2009 07:00 PM               

Delaware North Companies Names William Moore New Chief Operating Officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, a leading hospitality provider with significant experience in hotel, retail, food service and recreation, has hired William Moore as chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Delaware North operates all food service, retail and guest services at the popular tourist destination.

In this role, Moore will oversee Delaware North operations at the Visitor Complex and work to leverage the company's diverse capabilities to best serve guests. The Visitor Complex welcomes more than 1.5 million visitors annually who come to enjoy the Kennedy Space Center bus tour such attractions as the new Shuttle Launch Experience, Rocket Garden, IMAX(R) 3D space films and launches from NASA's nearby launch facility. Delaware North has operated at the destination on behalf of NASA since 1995.

"I'm very excited to have Bill in this post and handling our operations at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex," said Kevin Kelly, president of Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts. "Bill has the right combination of skill and experience to help us strengthen our operations and better serve guests at this one-of-a-kind place."

Moore brings more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment and tourism industry to his new post at the Visitor Complex. Most recently, Moore served as the president and CEO of Independence Visitor Center Corporation in Philadelphia. There, Moore oversaw operations for the Independence Visitor Center and directed the development of a new home for the historic Liberty Bell. Moore has also held senior executive positions with Six Flags Corporation. In all, Moore has considerable experience in all aspects of park operations, including marketing, finance, administration, food service, retail and maintenance.

"Bill has truly done some impressive things during his career and we're excited to have him join our team," said Kelly. "His efforts in Philadelphia regarding the Liberty Bell are tangible evidence of his ability to be a steward of special places. His experience personifies our company's values."

Moore served on numerous public committees in Philadelphia such as Historic Philadelphia, Inc., the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Welcome America, Inc. and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Economic Advisory Council. Moore is also an FAA-licensed commercial pilot, private helicopter pilot and flight instructor.

posted 02-19-2009 01:55 AM               

In an interview Wednesday, Moore talked about the future challenges and current pleasures of his new job.

QUESTION: What are the visitor center's strengths in the poor economy, and how will you build on them?

ANSWER: This is an absolutely fascinating place and a wonderful resource, and it can tell the NASA story really, really well to people around the world.

Our strengths are that we have real history. This is the history of America's space program. One of the challenges is continuing to educate and excite people about what space exploration means. This is the only place you can do that.

This is not made-up history. This is the real stuff. Astronauts are here and real artifacts from space are here. Out challenge is to makes sure visitors understand we represent an outstanding value.