LARC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Architect With
- Director of Architecture & Design
George Slavik has been an Architect with LARC since 1987. His experience includes practicing architecture in Texas and Louisiana since 1970. As the Director of Architecture, George supervises and coordinates efforts of the design personnel on numerous projects, provides liaison with various consultants, ensures that the master planning and concept designs are progressed through architectural and engineering construction documents. Additionally, George provides Master Plans, designs themed buildings and assists in art direction during construction.
Education:
Texas A&M University, Bachelor of Architecture
Masato Maruyama has been in partnership with LARC since 1988, along with his late father, Masao Maruyama (1923-2012), a distinguished Japanese Naval Academy top seat graduate and Managing Director of Hitachi Shipbuilding Company, Ltd.
Masato is responsible for international operations for LARC, primarily in Japan and other Asian countries. Maintains a LARC satellite office in Tokyo.
Job Titles:
- President
- President of Leisure
Michael A. Jenkins is President of Leisure and Recreation Concepts, Inc. (LARC), a design and consulting firm for the entertainment industry that includes theme parks, water parks, special event productions, and a variety of other attractions. Jenkins founded this unique company over 46 years ago. In that time LARC has worked on more than 1,100 projects including the Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky; Messila Water Village in Messila Beach, Kuwait; Yale University's Tercentennial (300-year) Celebration, which was up-linked on satellite and broadcast around the globe; and the ICR Discovery Center for Science and Earth History, which opened on Labor Day 2019.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Key Member of the LARC Research Team
Michelle West is a key member of the LARC research team. Feasibility studies, market analyses, business plans, operational reviews, and forecasts have been completed under her direction. As the Director of Research, Michelle coordinates the research and fact-finding efforts, writes or assists in writing all studies or reports originating in LARC's research department and carefully reviews and edits all of the research department's final documents.
Alongside the Tourism Development department, Michelle assists in researching and writing the Tourism Development studies. In the course of her tenure, Michelle has gathered and inventoried detailed data on each of the various segments of the entertainment industry as well as operational statistics on existing entertainment attractions. Through this and other research, LARC has become an invaluable source to the leisure industry.
Job Titles:
- Social Media & Marketing CopyWriter and Consultant
Victoria Valentine has been a part of the LARC team since 2016. Her passion for integrating the vision of LARC across departments and supporting all of the team members has been the most rewarding aspect of her job.
Victoria is proud to be a part of a company that supports the beauty of connecting communities and the magic of creating moments and experiences that become beautiful memories. The things that matter and last. Some of her responsibilities include:
Social Media Management
Web Development
Graphic Design​
Editing
Archives
​Research assistant
Valentine is an actress in addition to her role as LARC and Starlight Entertainment's creative assistant. This June she performed with the Alley Theatre as Sabine in The Three Musketeers. Previously, she was the production assistant for TheatreLab in St. Louis, Missouri, where she also performed with New Line Theatre in regional premieres Heathers: The Musical and Atomic: The New Rock Musical.
Some of her favorite credits include Blonde Ambition (Marilyn Monroe, The Blonde); A Southern Exposure (Callie Belle Hurt); A Chorus Line (Kristine Deluca); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Deirdre Peregrine) during which she participated in a workshop with Chita Rivera of the original Broadway cast; Comedy of Errors (Luciana); and Marat/Sade (Mad Animal, Lavoisier).
Victoria is a proud member of Actor's Equity Association.
Education:
BFA Music Theatre, Minor in Dance Viterbo University
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant to the President
- Executive EDITOR
Wanda joined the company in 1975 as an Executive Assistant to the President, Michael Jenkins. In the course of her long-time tenure, Wanda has developed the ability to sense the needs of the organization and to expedite time-consuming tasks and projects to the benefit of LARC clients.
Job Titles:
- Director of Tourism & Development
Wendy Jenkins joined the LARC team in April 1997 after serving as the Director for the Georgia Better Hometown Program. With her work history and strength in rural tourism development and marketing, she brings new ideas to a seasoned company. Her application of the National Main Street 4-Point Approach to tourism development has stimulated the visitor attendance of numerous cities and attractions across the United States. Her extensive travels, both domestically and abroad, have exposed her to a multitude of tourism programs. This global experience has enhanced her expertise in advising clients on new marketing efforts and planned tourism development.
Before leaving Georgia, Wendy also worked with the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Committee (ACOG), exposing her to one of the world's greatest athletic events. She was chosen by her hometown to run with the Olympic Torch for her efforts in building a new Welcome Center in her community. The half-million-dollar facility was completed in May 1996 just in time to greet Olympic visitors for the summer games.