R. Scott Haden
Golden,USA
Summary
Experienced water park leader with a strong background in managing large-scale aquatics operations and multiple facilities. Skilled in aligning operational strategies with community objectives, enhancing safety protocols, and building effective teams. Demonstrated success in overseeing capital projects while managing a $1M budget to improve guest satisfaction.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Maintenance Manager
Hyland Hills Water World
03.2023 - Current
- Maintenance and operations leader for a nationally recognized, 65-acre destination water park, translating executive direction, master planning, and capital initiatives into daily operations, staffing models, and project delivery.
- Provide enterprise-level leadership for aquatics attractions, facilities, grounds, fleet, and infrastructure supporting one of the largest public water parks in the country.
- Lead and develop supervisors overseeing 15 full-time and 100+ seasonal staff, emphasizing accountability, professional development, safety, and service excellence.
- Administer and monitor an approximately $1M operating budget, aligning staffing, service levels, and capital priorities with long-term asset sustainability.
- Lead complex, high-profile capital improvement and renovation projects involving competing operational, safety, and guest-service priorities; deliver projects on time and within budget.
- Collaborated with executive and recreation leadership to align facility operations with department goals and community expectations, enhancing program effectiveness and event success.
- Coordinate contractors, consultants, and vendors through procurement, bid evaluation, contract administration, and change order management.
- Led incident response and resolved safety and operational issues in fast-paced public settings.
- Ensured compliance with ASTM standards for amusement rides and facilities, maintaining operational safety and guest satisfaction in a high-traffic environment.
- Facilitated asset stewardship through lifecycle planning and preventative maintenance programs, optimizing infrastructure upgrades and performance data utilization.
Aquatics Technician
Denver Parks and Recreation
09.2019 - 03.2023
- City-wide aquatics facilities caretaker role supporting safe, compliant, and consistent recreation services across a large urban parks and recreation system, providing exposure to regulatory compliance, asset stewardship, and multi-facility coordination.
- Coordinated operations for 30+ municipal aquatic facilities, splash pads, and slide attractions with supervisors and recreation leadership to ensure seamless service delivery.
- Conducted inspections, preventative maintenance, and system troubleshooting in compliance with state and local health and safety regulations.
- Contributed to asset lifecycle planning, facilitated equipment upgrades, coordinated contractors, and maintained documentation for ongoing operational improvements.
- Delivered routine safety training for internal staff in accordance with American Red Cross and OSHA standards to enhance workplace safety.
Recreation Supervisor
Gahanna Recreation & Parks
02.2017 - 09.2019
- Front-line supervisory role with responsibility for community recreation, outdoor adventure, and aquatics programs, staff leadership, athletic event, budgeting, and guest service delivery in multiple parks and recreation settings.
- Managed program and operational budgets and supported delivery of large-scale community events and competitive swimming events serving 1,000+ participants.
- Recruited, trained, scheduled, and supervised maintenance, concessions, admissions, lifeguarding, and guest services staff.
- Developed inclusive programming for children in collaboration with local agencies, establishing the largest swim lesson program in the state for children with special needs.
- Received award from Ohio Parks and Recreation for innovative recruitment strategies.
- Applied ServeSafe handling and American Red Cross Instructor skills, resulting in improved state and local inspection and audit scores.
Recreation Supervisor
Town of Breckenridge
03.2010 - 06.2016
- Served in a highly visible, civic leadership role supporting recreation center operations, youth programming, special events, safety initiatives, and public engagement in a premier vacation destination.
- Directed aquatic programs and managed daily facility operations, staff coordination, issue resolution, and customer service.
- Enhanced learn-to-swim programs, leading to over 30% increase in total participation, securing public support for strategic renovations and capital improvements of a 65,000 sq ft multi-use facility.
- Spearheaded safety culture development townwide and incident response practices aligned with risk management expectations.
- Coordinated and delivered signature community events, including Town’s Adventure Race Series and other high-profile events, collaborating with multiple departments and community partners.
- Assisted with planning and delivery of accredited youth programming, including summer camps and youth recreation services.
- Trained guest services staff in collaboration with Visitor’s Center, enhancing customer service and community brand standards for Town employees and business owners, contributing to net promoter score increase to 9/10.
- Aided recreation marketing and outreach efforts, including television, radio, and community advertising as well as scheduled live interviews.
Education
B.S. - Education – Recreation Management
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH01-2003
Skills
- Equipment maintenance
- Facility operations
- Regulatory compliance
- Operational efficiency
- Cost control
- Project management
- Safety training
- Staff training
- Team leadership
Certification
- Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP), NRPA
- Certified Pool Operator, Pool and Hot Tub Alliance
- First Aid / CPR / AED Instructor, American Red Cross
- First Aid for Severe Trauma Instructor, American Red Cross
- Aquatic Technician School- Year 1, The Association of Aquatic Professionals
Timeline
Maintenance Manager
Hyland Hills Water World
03.2023 - Current
Aquatics Technician
Denver Parks and Recreation
09.2019 - 03.2023
Recreation Supervisor
Gahanna Recreation & Parks
02.2017 - 09.2019
Recreation Supervisor
Town of Breckenridge
03.2010 - 06.2016
B.S. - Education – Recreation Management
Bowling Green State University