NEAAPA Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- West Springfield, Mass. -- July 16, 2009
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EASTERN STATES EXPOSITION PRESIDENT WAYNE MCCARY
RECEIVES NEW ENGLAND AMUSEMENT HONOR
Wayne McCary, of Longmeadow, Mass., Eastern States Exposition president, received the 2009 New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions' (NEAAPA) prestigious Hall of Fame honor.
The award was presented by NEAAPA President Jason Freeman at the organization's 83rd Annual Meeting held recently at the Sheraton Ferncroft Hotel in Danvers, Massachusetts.
Known as an agent for change in the fair and amusement industry, McCary served with distinction as president of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions in 1997, was named to the IAFE Hall of Fame in 2001 and was the first fair manager elected to the board of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association (OABA) where he presently serves as chairman.
He represents OABA at the new Federation Mondiale du Cirque, a world circus organization led by Princess Stephanie of Monaco and serves as the Federation's vice president.
As former president of the International Entertainment Buyers Association, an organization he helped establish, McCary received its Founders' Award in 2007 from Country music legend Barbara Mandrell. He also served as president of the Midwest Fairs Association and the Massachusetts Agricultural Fairs Association.
Locally, McCary has served in many leadership positions including a long tenure as Chairman of the Board of the Sisters of Providence Health System and vice president of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Springfield, Mass. He currently serves as a trustee of the College of Our Lady of the Elms and is on the Finance Council of the Diocese of Springfield.
One of two recipients, McCary received the honor along with the late John F. Naughton, president of Naughton Insurance, East Providence, Rhode Island, and past president of NEAAPA.
Induction into NEAAPA's Hall of Fame is the highest honor that the Association can give to its members. The Hall of Fame Committee is nominated each fall and the next inductee(s) is chosen based on dedication to improving, expanding and promoting the amusement industry in New England, entrepreneurial skills, leadership and moral character. Since the award's inception in 1998, NEAAPA has inducted 19 people. Past honorees include Edward J. Carroll, Sr. and Jr., as well as Ed Connor, all of Riverside Park.
NEAAPA is one of the oldest regionally focused associations serving the amusement industry. Its roots can be traced to 1913 by a handful of self-made amusement men who gathered to discuss key issues that threatened their business survival on the regional level. Since the first Annual Meeting in 1926, it has grown into a premier association and has expanded into educational events, employee pass programs, networking opportunities and collective marketing & promotions. Its Annual Buyer's Guide is a "Who's Who" among parks and attractions throughout the region.
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