HERSCHEL C. HAYO

Herschel Hayo cut his teeth on ‘big box’ retailing as a senior vice president with Allied Stores and Federated Department Stores and ran several large department stores throughout the southern region. He became Director of Retail for Historic Tours of America in 1994 and Chief Operating Officer for the entire company in 1998. Herschel has been a lifetime resident of Florida having grown up in Sarasota and graduating from Florida State University. Under his leadership and management, the company has converted its computer systems to permit on-site efficiencies and quality control from all of our ticketing locations. This has also allowed us to be able to sell tickets for our other attractions in each of our cities. Mr. Hayo says, “One of my proudest accomplishments has been to make all the other attractions in a community available to the visiting public. When they have more opportunity to see more, they have a better time which causes them to want to come back.”

Benjamin N. McPherson has been employed in various positions with the Company since 1986. He, like our own children, grew up in the company. He began cleaning sponges as a young boy and worked his way into the accounting department after graduating from Florida State University. In 2002, he was appointed the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. Mr. McPherson is responsible for the Company’s Finance Department, Treasury Department, budgets, financial statements, tax returns, and procurement of institutional financing. For the past eight years, Ben has organized and produced Children’s Day, Historic Tours of America’s community event for children in Key West that raises thousands of dollars for children’s organizations. Ben is a member of the Florida Bar, as a non-of counsel member and was appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush to serve a three year term on the Unlicensed Practice of Law Committee for the 16th Judicial Circuit. Ben is also the treasurer of the the Key West Police Department Love Fund, which raises money to assist officers injured in the line of duty.

Bob Wolz was born and raised in eastern Ohio. He graduated from Youngstown State University with a degree in history and a minor in business. He first came to Key West on his honeymoon in 1973 and decided not to relocate into one of the many $10,000 Key West homes. Five additional vacations to Key West converted him from snowbird to sea dog and he permanently moved here in 1985 with a real estate license and a state job at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. He was often accused of working for the Chamber of Commerce because his love for Key West was infectious. Six months later, he came to Old Town Trolley Tours of Key West working as tour conductor, scheduler, trainer and operations manager. In 1987, Bob was named General Manager of Old Town Trolley Tours. Under his leadership at the trolley, profitability and CASTmember retention increased. In 1994, he accepted the challenge to create an interactive nautical history museum known as the Key West Shipwreck Historeum. In the fall of 1999, he accepted the position of Executive Director of the Harry S. Truman Little White House State Historic Site. The Little White House is owned by the state of Florida, but has management services provided by HTA. In 2002, Bob created a not for profit corporation whose purpose is to expand the educational outreach of the Little White House and to complete the restoration of the 9,000 square foot historic house. Over $1,000,000 has been raised to date for the restoration. Bob was a founding force and continues to organize the Harry S. Truman Legacy Symposium, a national recognized educational conference, now in its seventh year. Bob has co-authored or edited several books including The Legacy of the Little White House: Presidents in Paradise; The National Security Legacy of Harry S. Truman and Harry S. Truman’s Legacy on Israel. His writings have appeared in Florida Art and History Magazine and in American Political Science Review.

Bob has served on the board of directors and secretary of the Key West Attractions Association for eight years. He is a Boy Scout leader and both his sons earned the position of Eagle Scout. He has been awarded the District Award of Merit, the highest award from a District and Silver Beaver Award, the highest award from a Council. He holds the position of Order of the Arrow advisor for the Florida Keys and was honored to receive the Vigil Honor. He was presented with the Order of St. George, the adult religious award from the Boy Scouts and Catholic Church. He has a regular column on collecting Civil War badges in The Banner, national publication of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. He has served as the Ohio Department Commander and as its Senior Vice Commander in Chief. Bob is also the first recipient of Historic Tours of America’s ESP Hero award, the company’s highest honor, which he received in 1987.

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