David Yates - Inducted in 2013
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David Yates graduated from the University of Nebraska- Omaha in 1985 with a BSBA, and immediately went to work for Arthur Young & Company, a then Big-Eight accounting firm (now Ernst & Young). Yates became CEO of the company that acquired the Ironman Triathlon events and brand. During his tenure, the Ironman brand was established as a legitimate multi-million dollar international sports brand, with TV packages on NBC and ESPN, and international media. |
Yates joined the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) approximately seven years ago as its CEO. He assumed this position at a time when CMA was on the verge of insolvency, and created a vision, business model and an award-winning management team that has successfully resurrected the CMA into a thriving global organization.
When Winter, a disabled dolphin, came to the CMA for rehabilitation, Yates had the foresight to see her story of survival as an inspiration to others. He initiated a marketing and media plan that promoted the story worldwide and attracted the attention of animal lovers and those facing difficult challenges. The story has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, BBC, CNN and hundreds of other media outlets as well as magazines such as People, Reader’s Digest, Time and Women’s World.
Yates has produced a documentary on Winter’s life, has helped produce three books about her, and is the coproducer of Dolphin Tale, a motion picture that has become the all-time #1 movie for promotion of tourism. The CMA team has won multiple awards, including the Tampa area “Top Management Team Award,” a national turnaround award, and the Tampa area “Nonprofit of the Year Award.”