He stands beside the murky water. Suddenly, a crocodile explodes from the deep and chases him on the shore. The man grins. He is, after all, Mark McHugh, President and CEO of Gatorland, the “Alligator Capital of the World.”

Take a glimpse into the world of this daring Executive Committee member and Tourism Co-Chair of myregion.org. He is one of the many professionals and extraordinary experts who provide guidance and leadership to the program and who play such indispensable roles in making our region competitive in the 21st century.

Founder Owen Godwin Sr. first opened Gatorland in 1949. Godwin, along with his wife, Pearl, turned a small alligator pond into what is today one of Florida’s leading nature attractions.

Mark McHugh President/CEO, Gatorland

Since joining Gatorland in 1996, Mark has introduced 13 new attractions and exhibits at Orlando's only attraction with bite and attitude. They range from one of the world's largest exhibits of giant crocs in captivity to free-flying lorikeets, animal encounters and an all new Gator “Jumparoo” in which hungry alligators leap some 3 feet into the air to capture lunch. The shows are a typical Mark McHugh project: exotic, entertaining and unprecedented.

Mark’s goal is to provide a close-up, personalized experience. "Gatorland is one of the few theme parks where visitors can watch a show then sit down and have lunch with the trainer," he says. "Guests experience animals in the wild, just an arm's reach away."

Before joining Gatorland, he served as animal trainer, curator, researcher and spokesperson for SeaWorld. During his 12 years there, he worked with 13 different species of marine mammals, including dolphins, seals and killer whales. He produced popular shows, appeared in SeaWorld films, and served as spokesperson for Shamu TV, an educational program for children airing on hundreds of network-affiliated stations nationwide.

He wrote scientific papers on the behavior and learning of marine mammals. Following his research, he helped develop a unique auditory-cueing system to communicate with killer whales. Of his transition from marine mammals to reptiles, Mark says, "Dolphins respond to a hug or toy, but the only way to train crocodiles is with raw meat."

Mark holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida. In addition, he has a Master's degree in Marine Science from the University of Texas, Austin, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Biology from Southwest Texas State University. While in Austin, he funded and conducted the state's first formal academic research on marine mammals. His Master's thesis on the population dynamics of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins serves as the foundation for current research on marine mammals in Texas.

Whether he is wrestling an alligator or working “ferociously” to help shape the future for our region, our family of communities is privileged to claim Mark’s leadership and expertise as our own.

To find out more about “Orlando’s only Theme Park with Bite and Attitude,” visit www.gatorland.com or call 1-800-393-JAWS.