Tom Fitzgerald Promoted To Exec VP, Snr Creative Executive, WDI

Tom Fitzgerald Promoted to Executive Vice President, Senior Creative Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering

Tom Fitzgerald, head of Theme Park Productions, Inc., has been promoted to executive vice president, senior creative executive, for Walt Disney Imagineering, it was jointly announced July 26 by Don Goodman, president of Walt Disney Imagineering and Marty Sklar, vice chairman and principal creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering.

As executive vice president, senior creative executive, Fitzgerald, 44, will run the day-to-day creative leadership of Walt Disney Imagineering in addition to his current responsibilities for Theme Park Productions, which produces film media for Disney's Theme Parks. He will report directly to both Goodman and Sklar.

Commenting on Fitzgerald's promotion, Sklar, who has been vice chairman and principal creative executive of Disney's Imagineering division since 1974, said, "When I hired Tom 23 years ago, I saw in him something special in the way of initiative and creativity. Today, I believe Tom represents the kind of unique creative talent that is vibrantly alive throughout Imagineering. His appointment to this role will allow me to focus on new growth projects while keeping a strong hand in the creative development process."

Goodman added, "Tom aspired to be an Imagineer at the age of eight, when he visited the 1964-65 New York World's Fair and saw the attractions designed by Disney. He joined Imagineering about 15 years later, and has played an instrumental role in shaping our creative vision ever since. Both Marty and I look forward to Tom's increasing involvement and continued leadership."

After receiving his bachelor's degree in Speech Communications from Northwestern University, Fitzgerald worked at Walt Disney World while imagining concepts for future Disney shows and attractions. In 1979, he pitched his concepts to Sklar, who hired him as an Imagineer.

As executive vice president of Story, Script and Media for Theme Park Productions, Fitzgerald oversaw the conceptual development, production and post production of all film and video presentations, as well as script and story development for Walt Disney Imagineering projects. His most recent accomplishments include films produced for Disney's California Adventure, including Golden Dreams (which he wrote), Seasons of the Vine and Soarin' Over California. Previous projects include It's Tough to be a Bug!, Ellen's Energy Adventure and Honey I Shrunk the Audience at Walt Disney World. Fitzgerald was also a writer and producer for Star Tours at Disneyland.

Originally from White Plains, New York, Fitzgerald resides in Altadena, California.

-- Posted July 27, 2001
Source: Company Press Release