Alumnus and Disney Cruise Line president to be 2011 Commencement keynote speaker

Bringing a little magic and pixie dust to SUNY Fredonia’s Commencement will be alumnus Karl L. Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations, who will serve as keynote speaker for ceremonies slated for Saturday, May 14, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Steele Hall Arena.

Fredonia President Dennis Hefner noted, "Karl Holz is one of SUNY Fredonia's most distinguished alumni. We are very excited to have him join us on this most significant day in the life of the campus, and look forward to his message to our students and their families."

Mr. Holz leads several key growth businesses for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. His team at Disney Cruise Line includes more than 5,500 shoreside cast members and shipboard crew members. He oversees the Disney Magic, Disney Wonder and newly launched Disney Dream cruise ships, as well as Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, and Disney’s cruise terminal in Port Canaveral, Fla. One of Mr. Holz’s top priorities is launching the company’s fourth cruise ship, the Disney Fantasy, currently under construction in Papenburg, Germany. The ship will sail its maiden voyage in March 2012.

Mr. Holz also leads the development of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, a new beachfront resort opening in August on Oahu in Hawaii; and Adventures by Disney, a division of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts that operates guided family-vacation tours in celebrated destinations worldwide.

He joined Disney in 1996 as vice president of Downtown Disney at the Walt Disney World Resort. He later served as vice president of Epcot, then senior vice president of Walt Disney World Operations and in 2003 was named president of Disney Cruise Line. In 2004, he moved to Paris as president and chief executive officer of Euro Disney S.A.S. In February 2009, Mr. Holz was appointed to his current position of president, Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. Before joining Disney, Mr. Holz served as vice president of theme park operations for Knott’s Berry Farm in Southern California, and previously served as president of Sky Chefs Airport Concessions, Inc.

Mr. Holz earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1973 from SUNY Fredonia, and in 2005 received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Fredonia Alumni Association, the highest honor of the association. He lives in Orlando, Fla., with his wife, Wendy, also a SUNY Fredonia graduate. They have two children: Erik, a graduate of Syracuse University who is pursuing a dental career, and Kirsten, a graduate of Washington College of Law at American University.