Elings Park, Santa Barbara’s beloved gathering place for nature, athletics and dogs, has landed marketing expert and theme park industry veteran Dean Noble as its new executive director.
“Dean brings with him an extensive background in nonprofit and for-profit venues,” Elings Park Foundation board president Patty Bryant said. “We look forward to the park having a higher profile in the local community as well creative, new ways to spend time outdoors.”
“To me, what Central Park is to New York, Elings Park is to Santa Barbara,” Noble said. “People get married here, propose here, and bring their kids and grandkids here. It’s not unusual for locals to come to Elings on a daily or weekly basis.”
Most recently, Noble was director of marketing for another notable local institution, the Santa Barbara Zoo. During his 13 years there, the zoo consistently set all-time attendance and revenue records, and the marketing team created popular events, shows and programming that have become part of local culture.
Before the zoo, he spent 10 years on the Universal Studios Japan team and opened the $2 billion Universal Studios theme park in Osaka, Japan. He also spent seven years in the entertainment industry in feature film development and acquisitions with independent studio, ITC Entertainment, and had a brief stint working in celebrity image licensing representing Albert Einstein and Steve McQueen at the Roger Richman Agency in Beverly Hills.
Noble is originally from Hawaii and has an English degree from Pepperdine University and an MBA from California Lutheran University.
Elings Park consists of 230 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the heart of Santa Barbara. The one-of-a-kind setting makes Elings a destination for mountain bikers, softball, soccer, tennis, BMX, paragliding and more.
“Elings is about as Santa Barbara as you can get. Ocean views, coastal oak groves, kids, and dogs … lots of dogs,” Noble said, referring to the park’s popular EP Dog Park Annual Membership program.
— Mari Baker represents Elings Park.