Our Team
Meet Our Executive Team
Our leadership team brings extensive expertise across hospitality, waterparks, attractions, gaming, finance, development, and operations. From project conception through ongoing management, ARM’s executives provide hands-on guidance, industry knowledge, and a shared commitment to delivering exceptional experiences and strong financial performance.
Leadership
Richard “Rick” Coleman, CHA
CEO & Co-Founder
Rick Coleman has been involved in the hospitality and amusement industries for over 25 years and has been part of $1.5B in development. His career has encompassed all aspects of hotel, food and beverage, conference center, amusement and indoor waterpark operations.
Richard Coleman
Rick Coleman has been involved in the hospitality and amusement industries for over 25 years and has been part of $1.5B in development. His career has encompassed all aspects of hotel, food and beverage, conference center, amusement and indoor waterpark operations. He has extensive experience ranging from development, financing, branding, launch and daily management of single and multi-unit properties, representing various nationally flagged and independent locations.
Over the past decade, Rick has been directly involved in numerous large-scale hotel, resort and themed attraction projects totaling over $500M in development. Rick has extensive experience in EB-5, USDA and other non-traditional funding programs.
Rick has focused his career on providing the best guest experience possible through the efforts of recruiting, training and motivating management and staff. He has written, produced and implemented dozens of orientation, training and retention programs.
A frequent lecturer and guest speaker, Rick works tirelessly to promote a more personalized and “old world” service. Rick has written and delivered dozens of property specific orientation programs for managers and associates that motivate individuals to reach for excellence. Rick also created and developed the “Aloha Spirit” Orientation and Training Programs as well as the “Housekeeping Games” Employee Retention Program.
Rick holds the following certifications and memberships:
- Certified Hotel Administrator from the American Hotel & Lodging Association
- Member of International Association of Amusement Parks and Attraction
- Certified Ride Inspector for the State of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Marshall Myrman
President
Marshall Myrman
Born in Coronado, CA, Marsh grew up playing every sport, but when he pulled into his first barrel surfing, everything else went out the window. A SDSU alum, Marsh has worked in the sports and entertainment industry most of his life.
Many of his days have been and continue to be Surf AM/Golf PM kind of days. He is a proud father, grandfather, husband, and loves all sports and photography.
He lives by the mantra of “work hard, play hard.” He has one hero: “Dad—honest, honorable, ethical, and moral.
Justin Brown
Chief Operating Officer
Justin Brown
Justin Brown has over 20 years of operations and maintenance experience in the pool and water park industry. He serves as Executive Vice President of Development at American Resort Management where he develops, leads, and consults on portfolio-wide projects.
Prior to joining American Resort Management, Justin was the Assistant Director of Operations at Universal’s Volcano Bay Water Theme Park in Orlando, FL. In this role he was responsible for all operational aspects of the park’s 17 attractions and virtual line system which included an annual attendance of 1.8 million guests. Justin was part of the construction, commissioning, and opening team of Volcano Bay.
Previous to his work at Universal, Justin was the Director of Aquatics at DelGrosso’s Park and Laguna Splash in Tipton, PA. While there he led the largest park expansion project in the company’s history which added a new guest entryway, attractions, and food and beverage concepts.
While earning his MBA at Penn State University, Justin served as the Coordinator of Aquatics at McCoy Natatorium. In this position he was responsible for all pool operations, special event coordination, and risk management procedures for the University’s aquatic center.
Certifications:
- Pool and Hot Tub Alliance Certified Pool Operator Instructor
- Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician
- Lifeguard Instructor Trainer
Fran Greenman-Schmitz
Chief Marketing Officer
Fran Greenman-Schmitz
Fran Greenman-Schmitz is a marketing, content, strategy and business development leader with more than 20 years of professional experience building global businesses and impactful customer experiences for companies that want to make the world a better place for children and their families.
Her career includes development and production of award-winning content of all types, including multimedia marketing and advertising content, children’s fiction and non-fiction book series, magazine publishing, entertainment property development, live events, IRL and interactive games, experiential retail design, animated episodic children’s series, apps, web and mobile content, and live-action feature films.
Fran is also the founder of Strategy Solutions, a leading strategy and marketing consultancy that helps brands create powerful emotional connections with consumers. She has worked with many of the world’s leading brands, including Highlights for Children, Mattel, American Girl, Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods, United Airlines, Allstate, NASA, Hallmark, Excelligence, and American Resort Management.
Christopher Denny, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
Christopher Denny
Christopher (Chris) Denny, CPA, is Head of Accounting and Finance at American Resort Management. He has more than 20 years of experience in accounting, audit and financial reporting, and has focused on hospitality and real estate since 2018.
Before joining American Resort Management, Chris was Vice President of Hotel Accounting at Remington Hotels. There he led accounting for 58 REIT hotels owned by a publicly traded parent company. Earlier, Chris spent nearly six years at Highgate Hotels and served as Vice President of Ownership Accounting. In that role he handled consolidations, financial reporting, and technical accounting matters, including acquisition accounting (ASC 805) and the adoption of the lease accounting standard (ASC 842).
Chris started his career in public accounting and became a Senior Manager in KPMG’s audit practice, where he was also a national audit instructor. He holds degrees in Accounting and Economics from Texas Tech University and is a licensed CPA in Texas.
Our Teams
Meet the department leaders supporting ARM’s properties across operations, marketing, food and beverage, finance, risk management, and human resources
Operations
Michael Hays
Regional Vice President, Operations
Michael Hayes
Michael Hays, Vice President of Attractions, brings more than 30 years in the aquatic amusement industry and helped open and operate ARM’s flagship Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark, with prior leadership at Jay Peak Resort, Schlitterbahn, and Marriott and service recognition from the World Waterpark Association.
Mark Ventresca
Regional Vice President, Operations
Mark Ventresca
Mark Ventresca, Vice President of Operations for Houston, adds more than 25 years of luxury resort and gaming experience with Turnberry Isle, The Stronach Group (where he led food and beverage for the Preakness Stakes), and JACK Casino.
Marketing
Carl Foy
Corporate Vice President, Marketing
Carl Foy
Carl Foy, Corporate Vice President of Marketing, got his start at 16 as a roller coaster operator and built his career at Six Flags, Texas Renaissance Festival, Grand Texas, and Traders Village before leading ARM’s advertising, public relations, and social media efforts; he also serves the industry through the Texas Travel Alliance.
John McNally
Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
John McNally
John McNally, Vice President of Sponsorship & Strategic Partnerships, brings more than two decades in live entertainment and ticketing with TodayTix Group and Goldstar Events, landing partnerships with Six Flags, Cedar Fair, Universal Studios, and Major League Baseball.
Food & Beverage
Marc Kapiloff
Vice President, Food & Beverage
Marc Kapiloff
Marc Kapiloff has been with Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark since April 2017. He was part of our pre-opening team. He oversees all food and beverage outlets, which includes concessions, bars, birthdays and catering events. Recently, we have taken over the Epic Rec Center, where Mr. Kapiloff oversees the café, bars and catering events.
His many years of experience includes F&B director of Lone Star Park Thoroughbred Race Track; F&B director of Remington Park Racetrack, in Oklahoma City; vice president of F&B for Grande Catering, at Retama Park, in San Antonio; vice president of concessions for Kwik Kafe in Omaha, Nebraska, overseeing the Omaha Civic Auditorium, the Iowa State Football Stadium and the Lloyd Noble Arena, at the University of Oklahoma; general manager of F&B for Odgen Food Service at Oklahoma State Fairgrounds, Louisiana Downs Racetrack and Kirkwood Meadows Ski Resort; general manager of F&B for Volume Services at San Jose Convention and Cultural Center, Kiel Auditorium, in St. Louis, Kemper Arena, in Kansas City; and Mr. Kapiloff started his career as manager trainee and assistant manager of Royals and Arrowhead Stadiums in Kansas City.
In these many years of experience, in the recreational feeding field, he has managed many high-end events, such as Breeders Cups; MLB playoff games; NFL playoffs and Super Bowl; the Preakness; the Charismatic Convention, during which they served over 250,000 meals per day utilizing Royals and Arrowhead Stadiums, Kemper Arena and The American Royal.
His many experiences have given him the opportunity to serve many entertainers, profession athletes and politicians, including both President Bushes and Vice President Walter Mondale.
Mr. Kapiloff is a graduate of Kansas State University, with a bachelor of science in hospitality management. He has three children and four grandchildren.
Finance
Gerald Cermak, CPA
Director, Financial Services
Gerald Cermak
Gerald Cermak, CPA, Director of Financial Services, brings more than 26 years of accounting and finance experience with some of the country’s most respected companies, where he served as accounting manager, financial analyst for consolidation and reporting, and both internal and external auditor.
A graduate of Edinboro University with a degree in business administration and accounting, Gerald has also held director and chairman roles with the American Foundry Society’s Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter and served as a director for the Allegheny Recovery Corporation. His expertise keeps ARM’s portfolio accurate, accountable, and positioned for long-term profitability.
Risk
Colby Youngblood
Vice President, Risk Management
Colby youngblood
Colby Youngblood brings over 30 years of leadership and operational experience to American Resort Management. His career began in the U.S. Air Force, where he led high-performance teams in complex, mission-critical environments. Following his military service, Colby transitioned into the private sector, building a diverse portfolio of leadership roles across industries, including aerospace, hospitality, and specialty construction. His operational expertise spans strategic planning, P&L management, contract negotiations, and financial oversight, with a consistent track record of driving organizational growth and operational excellence.
Colby’s career took a significant trajectory in the commercial sector through his executive leadership with Celestis, Inc., where he served as President and Board Member. In this role, he oversaw multi-million-dollar commercial spaceflight contracts with leading aerospace partners such as United Launch Alliance and Astrobotic, expanding Celestis’ global market presence. Prior to joining ARM, he also held leadership positions where he managed large teams, complex budgets, and strategic partnerships, focusing on operational transformation, risk mitigation, and sustainable revenue growth.
In addition to his executive experience, Colby is an entrepreneur and consultant with a passion for developing high-performing teams and scalable operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Business and an MBA in Executive Leadership from University of Houston. Outside of work, Colby enjoys traveling, golfing, and spending time with his family. His leadership philosophy—“Stay Strong, Stay Positive, and Find the Win”—reflects his commitment to resilience, strategic problem-solving, and building organizations positioned for long-term success.
HR
James Kilmer-Lawler
Vice President, Human Resources
James Kilmer-Lawler
James is a progressive, business-minded Human Resources executive who excels at aligning workforce culture with bottom-line results. He leads enterprise-wide people strategies, drives organizational design, and champions scalable talent initiatives for complex operations. James looks at HR through a commercial lens. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for turning traditional HR departments into modern profit-protectors.
James brings well over a decade of sophisticated corporate experience to his current executive role. Prior to joining American Resort Management, he served as the Director of HR for UBMD Internal Medicine, overseeing multi-site operations and spearheading a core HRIS modernization that slashed operational costs by 30%. Before that, James spent more than eleven years as a senior HR Business Partner at Paychex Inc. During his tenure at Paychex, he provided direct strategic advisory to a diverse, multi-state corporate client base. This deep corporate background gives him an elite mastery of multi-state compliance and labor laws spanning more than 40 states.
James holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Human Resources from Niagara University. Backing up his hands-on experience, he maintains top-tier industry credentials as a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). He also holds a corporate credential in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida. Based in New York, James balances risk mitigation with aggressive organizational growth, consistently building the compliant, high-energy cultures required for modern corporate success.
Frank Pracukowski
Consultant, Tribal Relations & Gaming
Frank Pracukowski
Frank Pracukowski has been in the Native American casino gaming industry for over 25 years. He opened Foxwoods Resort Casino in 1992 and was a key member of the executive team through the casino’s numerous expansions. He has 17 years of experience in information technology and casino operations, being responsible for their proprietary casino management system (CMS) and led the effort to integrate all the computer systems into the CMS. He also worked closely to procure software for the gaming commission, marketing, cage, busing, credit, junkets and bingo.
He spent the last 8 years at Foxwoods in Business Development, where he consulted and managed agreements with Native American Tribes. Mr. Pracukowski ran Foxwoods Interactive, the division of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to explore, develop and implement a real money igaming and social gaming solution. He was one of the first to launch a social gaming app, which proved to the casino industry that a B2B social gaming platform solution could be successful.
Frank also managed all of the on-and-off reservation developments for Foxwoods Development Company, as well as identified potential casino, resort and water park projects for investment and management opportunities. One of his many accomplishments was bringing in Tanger Outlet Stores at Foxwoods. He is a graduate of Gibbs College with a degree in casino operations.
Tom Hart
Consultant, Municipal
Tom Hart
Tom Hart served as Grand Prairie City Manager from 1999 to retirement in 2021. Prior to that, Hart was Assistant City Manager and later City Manager in Euless for 16 years. He was one of the youngest city managers in the history of Texas when he served as City Manager in The Colony from 1978–1981. Known for his attention to world-class customer service and innovative management style, Hart created Grand Prairie’s popular and successful mission to “create Raving Fans by delivering World Class Service.”
During his tenure as Grand Prairie’s City Manager, he oversaw the reconstruction of the historic Uptown Theater and construction of a minor league ballpark, performance arts theatre, the Ruthe Jackson Center and Gardens, Grand Prairie Memorial Gardens, Tony Shotwell Life Center, Prairie Paws Adoption Center, the Splash Factory, Alliance Skate Park, the Public Safety Training Center, Municipal Court House, the Public Safety Building, The Summit Active Adult Center, Epic Waters Indoor Water Park, Epic Arts Fitness and Entertainment Center, and created the blueprint for Epic Central.
Hart served on the Lone Star Park Charitable Foundation and was named Zeus Man of the Year by the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce in 2008. Hart was honored in the 2009 Grand Prairie Rotary Club Golf Tournament for his significant contributions to the Grand Prairie community. Hart was instrumental in founding Grand Prairie’s Rotary Club Golf Tournament in 2001, which has provided more than $1 million in dental services to Grand Prairie children.
His professional awards also include:
- Two Joy Samson Mentoring Awards from the Urban Management Association of North Texas
- Texas City Management Association Mentoring Award
- International City/County Management Association Award for Career Development — The Cookingham Award
- International City/County Management Association In-Service Training Award — The Clarence E. Ridley Award
- Hurst-Euless-Bedford Rotarian of Year
- Northeast Leadership Award — North Region
- Past President North Texas City Management Association
