Hershey, PA > The Sweetest Place On Earth

Theodore (Ted) J. Kleisner
Ted was appointed a Director of the company in February 1996, and was elected Chairman of the Board effective January 1, 2012. Mr. Kleisner was elected President & CEO of the company effective January 1, 2007 and continues to hold the CEO position of the company. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Kleisner served as the President & CEO of the Greenbrier Resort and Club Management Company, a business unit of CSX Corporation, which owns and manages resorts, clubs, and real estate developments in West Virginia, The Turks & Caicos Islands BWI, Florida, The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and Bermuda. He is a Director of Allegheny Energy, Inc (NYSE: AYE), the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Resort Committee, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry, Team Pennsylvania Foundation, Modern Transit Partnership, and WITF, Inc. He also serves on the board of trustees of The Culinary Institute of America and is a member of the executive advisory board of The Daniels College of Business at The University of Denver.

Joshua L. Brener
Joshua was appointed a Director of the company in October 1998. Mr. Brener is the President of Water Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in project planning, forensic investigations, and team assembly for the recreation and amusement industry. The firm is also the U.S. marketing representative for Poseidon Technologies, Inc. Prior to his current position, Mr. Brener served as Vice President of North American Aquatic Safety for Poseidon Technologies, Inc. He has also served as Executive Vice President of Water Technology, Inc., an engineering and architectural firm specializing in the planning and design of waterparks, theme parks, and aquatic facilities, and as Executive Vice President of Heery International, providing extensive planning and design services in the areas of theme parks, waterparks, and public assembly facilities. Mr. Brener serves on the Board of Directors of Universal Furniture Company and is Vice President of Edgewater Condo Association. He is a Past President and a member of the Board of Trustees for The Temple in Atlanta.

Dana Chryst
Dana was appointed a Director of the company in February 2006. Ms. Chryst serves as the owner of The Jay Group, a marketing fulfillment services company headquartered in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She joined The Jay Group in 1981, and acquired controlling interest of the company in 2002. A graduate of Millersville University, Ms. Chryst serves on the Board of Directors of Fulton Bank, Lancaster, PA; Fulton Financial Corporation; and Lancaster General.

Sheila E. Dow-Ford
Sheila was appointed a Director of the company in March 2003. Ms. Dow-Ford is the CEO of Dow/Ford Strategies. Previously, she served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) from 1994 until January of 2007. Prior to joining PHEAA, Ms. Dow-Ford was Chief Counsel of the New Jersey School Boards Association and a Commissioner on the New Jersey Governor’s Quality Education Commission. A frequent speaker, Ms. Dow-Ford serves on the Boards of the Education and Policy Leadership Council and PA Partnerships for Children, and as a Director of Harrisburg University. A graduate of LaSalle College, she received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Richard A. Harvey, Jr.
Richard was appointed a Director of the company in September 2004. Mr. Harvey is President of the investment banking firm Stonebridge Associates, LLC, and its predecessor BNY Associates, which provides corporate finance transaction and advisory services, with an emphasis on middle market companies. Mr. Harvey is a member of the board of directors of Nabi Biopharmaceuticals, a NASDAQ traded biopharmaceuticals company, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Hammond Castle Museum. In addition, Mr. Harvey has also served as director of special corporate giving for the YMCA of the North Shore, an organization serving 11 communities north of Boston.

William F. Simpson, Jr.
Bill was appointed a Director of the company in December 2011. Mr. Simpson was elected President of the company effective November 2010 and Chief Operating Officer in April 2010. Previously, he served as Vice President of the Entertainment Group in April 2002 and started his career with the company as General Manager of Hershey Lodge in 1996. Prior to joining the company, he was General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Houston, Texas. Other leadership positions were with the Williamsburg Inn, The Opryland Hotel, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Mr. Simpson is an active member of hospitality and tourism trade organizations, including the Small and Independent Hotel Committee of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA). He also has been a member of the Certification Commission of AH&LA's Education Institute, and he earned the degree of Certified Hotel Administrator and Certified Rooms Division Executive from AH&LA.

Lynn C. Swann
Lynn was appointed a Director of the company in June 2003 and is owner of Swann, Inc., in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. Swann serves as a member of the Board of Directors of H.J. Heinz Company and Harrah’s Entertainment. A former All-Pro wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he also serves on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, and is former chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. Mr. Swann also created a youth scholarship fund for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.