Joe Stefanyak

Joe Stefanyak is the Vice President of Education and Integrated Technology Services for Ellis International. He began his career in the theme park and waterpark industry in 1985 as a seasonal Games/Rides attendant with Kennywood Entertainment Company at Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went on to spend 15 years as Waterpark Manager at Sandcastle Waterpark, also in Pittsburgh, joining the team during the facility’s construction, before moving to Idlewild & SoakZone in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, where he served for five years as Director of Operations. In his current role with Ellis International, Stefanyak works closely with the company’s nine lines of business, supporting each and their more than 900 clients and nearly 4,000 aquatic facilities worldwide. He oversees Ellis’ Education and Training curriculum and Integrated Technology Services and spends thousands of hours each year with the Ellis brands’ clients conducting training, inspections, unannounced operational aquatic safety audits, and evaluation of facility Emergency Action Plans/Standard Operating Procedures. He also oversees Ellis’ IACET accreditation. Stefanyak has authored or contributed to articles for numerous industry publications, and has led webinars and in-person sessions on a wide range of topics. He is an active participant in IAAPA, WWA, AIMS, NAARSO, AOAP, NDPA, and PAPA, as well as various state and regional committees, and is a member of ASTM. Stefanyak was part of the original MAHC Operator Training Technical Committee and the CMAHC Annex Review Committee, and currently serves on both the CMAHC Technical Review Committee and the CMAHC Education Committee. He has presented extensively on the Model Aquatic Health Code, industry trends and best practices, aquatic safety, lifeguarding issues, leadership, and emerging technologies, among other topics. His honors include the World Waterpark Association’s Kelly Ogle Memorial Safety Award (2014), presented for significant contributions to guest and employee safety in the water attractions industry; the E&A Legacy of Service Award (2016); recognition as one of Aquatics International magazine’s Power 10 (2020), honoring individuals who have had, or will have, an incalculable impact on the direction of the industry; and, most recently, the World Waterpark Association’s Al Turner Memorial Safety Award (2022), presented to individuals or organizations that, through consistent business and professional excellence, have provided leadership and fostered a sense of community within the WWA membership.