Who They Are
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts has ten company officers and six board members.
Meet Our Board Of Directors
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts sets high ethical standards for the company and its directors, officers, and employees.
John K. Lawn
John was appointed a Director of the company in June 2017 and elected Chairman of the Board in September 2019. John was named Chief Executive Officer in June 2017 after serving as President since September 2016. He previously served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and held other leadership positions in the Entertainment division, including Director of Food & Beverage and Assistant General Manager of Hersheypark® amusement park. Prior to joining the company, John worked with clients at Yankee Stadium, FedEx Field, and the Men’s US Open Championships, as well as at other sporting venues and premier hospitality events throughout the country. John is a member of the Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. A graduate of Randolph-Macon College, he serves on the boards of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, and Penn State Harrisburg Board of Advisers.
Jeffrey W. Jones
Jeff was appointed a Director of the company in December 2013 and elected Lead Independent Director in September 2019. Jeff also serves on the Board of Directors of Noodles & Company (NASDAQ Symbol: NDLS), where he is the Chairman of the Board, chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee; Summit Hotel Properties (NYSE Symbol: INN) where he serves as the Lead Independent Director, chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee; ClubCorp, where he serves as a Board Director; and Empower LTD (NYSE Symbol: EMPW), where he serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. He also serves on the U.S. Bank Advisory Board and the Board of Directors of the University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business. Jeff retired from Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE Symbol: MTN) in December 2012, having served as CFO, as well as President of Lodging, Retail, and Real Estate, and as a member of the Board. He is a graduate of Mercyhurst University and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Orlando Ashford
Orlando was appointed a Director of the company in December 2019. Orlando also serves as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Azamara Cruises, and on the Board of Directors of Array Technologies, Inc.; Perrigo Company plc; ClubCorp; and ITT, Inc. (NYSE Symbol: ITT), where he chairs the Compensation and Human Capital Committee. Orlando served as President of Holland America Line from 2014 to 2020. Prior to joining Holland America Line, Orlando held leadership positions in human resources and cultural transformation at Mercer, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Coca-Cola Company, and Motorola Inc. Orlando received Seattle Business Magazine 2019 Executive Excellence Award and was included in Black Enterprise Magazine’s 2017 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America. A graduate of Purdue University, Orlando holds multiple degrees in Organizational Leadership and Industrial Technology.
Barbara A. Polk
Barbara was appointed a Director of the company in December 2019. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Milton Hershey School Alumni Association. Currently, Barbara serves as Chief Administrative Officer at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Prior to this role, Barbara held leadership positions in operations, human resources, leadership development, and board operations at the National Restaurant Association, American Red Cross, Ellucian, and XO Communications (now Verizon). A graduate of Rutgers University, Barbara has also completed graduate coursework at Harvard Business School, University of Maryland, and American University.
Jennifer M. Prince
Jennifer was appointed a Director of the company in September 2022. She also serves on the boards of System1 (NYSE: SST) and Versus Systems (NASDAQ symbol: VS) and has held advisory roles for OpenSlate and SameSurf. Currently, Jennifer serves as Chief Commercial Officer for the Los Angeles Rams and is responsible for all brand and media partnerships and sponsorships. Prior to her role with the Rams, Jennifer spent over eight years at Twitter, Inc., in a number of leadership positions focused on global content partnership and media and entertainment. Her career spans more than 25 years of experience in digital advertising, sales, content, and partnerships with Fortune 500 partners and agencies while working for Google Inc., Demand Media Inc., American Greetings Corporation, Red Herring Inc., and Wall Street Journal. Jennifer has a degree in Communications from University of California, Santa Barbara.
Daniel Smith
Dan was appointed a Director of the company in December 2018. Dan also serves as President of Legends Hospitality, a global provider of culinary and merchandise experiences, including at Yankee Stadium, AT&T Stadium, and Sofi Stadium, and has over 45 years’ experience in all aspects of global food service and merchandise operations. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Fabulous Fan Fayre, which provides hospitality services at premier facilities in the UK, and on the Board of Directors of Legends España, which provides retail and e-commerce services for the Real Madrid Football Club. Dan previously served as President of Ledgestone Associates and held various positions at Centerplate where he directed food, beverage, and merchandise services for major league baseball stadiums, entertainment complexes, and convention centers. A graduate of St. Francis College, Dan also earned an MBA from Pace University.
Ann L. Yerger
Ann was appointed a Director of the company in February 2017. Ann is also an advisor to Spencer Stuart’s North American board practice, a member of the Board of Directors of Bed Bath and Beyond (NASDAQ Symbol: BBBY), and a member of Grant Thornton’s Audit Quality Advisory Council. She previously served as Executive Director of the EY Center for Board Matters and as Executive Director of the Council of Institutional Investors. Ann was a member of the Investor Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and the Investor Advisory Committee of the US Securities and Exchange Commission. She also served on the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council, the CFA Institute Advisory Council, the Advisory Board of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, and the US Treasury Department’s Advisory Committee on the Auditing Profession. Ann is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder and a graduate of Duke University with an MBA from Tulane University. She is also a National Association of Corporate Directors Board Leadership Fellow.