General Managers
From the ground breaking in 1958 to the auction of 2006, Santa's Village has had five General Managers.
Charles L. Poe 1958 - 1962
A native of California, Charles L. Poe assumed the duties of the general manager in September 1958. Poe over saw the construction of Santa's Village and was very skilled in the merchandising of the park. In 1962, Poe left Santa's Village Dundee to return to the corporate offices in Arcadia, California.
Ray Van Royen 1962 - 1963
A native of Carpentersville, Illinois, Van Royen became the general manager during the biggest expansion in park history. During his brief tenure, Santa's Village added the Snowball ride, the Antique Cars and the Polar Dome Ice Arena.
Jack Morningstar 1963 - 1972
Middletown, Ohio native Jack Morningstar replaced Van Royen in the summer of 1963. Morningstar came to Santa's Village with some great credentials with parks and attractions. He had been an exhibit manager at the World's Fair in Seattle, Washington and the general manager of LeSourdsville Park in Ohio.
Donald Holliman 1972 - 2003
Donald Holliman's career in the theme park business started in 1962 at Adventureland in Addison, Illinois. He first came to Santa's Village in 1968 as the rink manager of the Polar Dome Ice Arena and was promoted to park general manager four years later with the departure of Jack Morningstar. In Holliman, Santa's Village found a general manager that promoted the rides first and the other intangibles second. He fully understood this new reality of the amusement business. A park's profit centers are the gate, rides, food, games and then merchandise. Holliman's 31 year tenure as general manager ended at the close of the 2003 season when the park downsized.
Hugh D. Wilson 2003 - 2006
Hugh D. Wilson, along with his late business partner Philip Oestreich, bought Santa's Village in 1978. In the fall of 2003, Wilson took on the responsibilities of the general manager after a difficult decision to downsize the park's staff.
