M.J. Overton joined the Wilderness Resorts and Waterparks family on February 24th, 2010, as a lifeguard. He then worked his way through many management roles throughout the resort expanding his knowledge in hotel operations. He eventually made his way back to the aquatics side of operations as an Aquatics Manager and in less than a year received a promotion to Assistant Director of Aquatics. In 2020, the Wilderness family expanded their operation and opened a new seasonal park, Soaky Mountain Waterpark. In 2021, he took over as Assistant Director of Operations for Soaky. During the off season, he returns to Wilderness at the Smokies as the Mayor of Winter WILDERland, a 3,200-square-foot outdoor ice rink that is installed in the wave pool of their outdoor waterpark. Over his tenure in the aquatic industry, he has obtained several certifications including ServSafe certification, a certification with Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and is currently working towards becoming a Certified Ice Technician. Overton was born in Myrtle Beach, S.C., but was raised in Knoxville, Tenn., where he currently lives with his wife Lesley and their fur babies. In his spare time you can find Overton cheering on the Gamecocks, training for the next season of Survivor, watching the latest Marvel premier, sipping whiskey, traveling to new places, or spending as much time outdoors as possible.
