Barbara-Lea Granter Named Vice President and General Manager at California’s Great America

SANTA CLARA, California (May 14, 2021) – California’s Great America, Northern California’s premier entertainment destination, today announced that Barbara-Lea Granter has been named vice president and general manager of the park. She succeeds Manny Gonzalez, who recently was promoted to vice president and general manager at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both California’s Great America and Carowinds are owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: FUN).

Granter brings a wealth of experience to her new role at Great America. A native of Toronto, she began her nearly 40-year career in the theme park industry as a seasonal supervisor at Canada’s Wonderland, which today is also owned by Cedar Fair. She joined the entertainment division at Canada’s Wonderland on a full-time basis in 1984 and later worked in operations. In 2000, Granter moved to the United States to manage “Star Trek: The Experience” at the Las Vegas Hilton and to install CBS Television City at the MGM Grand. Now an American citizen, she has spent the past 19 seasons as vice president and general manager of Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California.

Barbara-Lea Granter as seen at Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park on April 11, 2014 during a film shoot for Coaster Con XXXVII. | Still: Nicholas Laschkewitsch

“Barb is a proven leader whose combination of entertainment and operations experience make her the ideal candidate to build on Great America’s strong legacy in Northern California,” said Tim Fisher, Cedar Fair chief operating officer. “She understands what it will take to deliver on our commitment to creating fun, memorable experiences for our guests as we prepare to reopen the park.”

“I am excited to join the Great America team, many of whom I have known for years,” Granter said. “I am looking forward to introducing our guests to the new South Bay Shores Waterpark and helping build on the park’s rich history of delivering fun, immersive experiences to families and guests of all ages.”

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Barb, welcome to California’s Great America! We cannot wait to work with you in the months ahead on future ACE NorCal events.