WOW . . . what a tremendous two days we had! . . . My objective was that each attendee have one take-away from each class they took. I feel strongly that that objective was met, and in many cases, exceeded.
Thad Lacinak
Instrumental in Developing SeaWorld's Industry-Leading Techniques
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$2,000Travels From
Orlando, Florida, United States
Thad Lacinak
Biography
Thad is a founder of Precision Behavior. In this role, he manages project development and consulting and works to advance animal behavior modification techniques and trainer safety within the zoological community. Thad is also integral to the instructional products of the Company, teaching positive reinforcement based courses to both zoological and corporate clients. He currently consults at zoological and domestic animal facilities world-wide.
In 2008, Thad retired from a 35-year career at Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC), as Vice President and Corporate Curator of Animal Training where he directed animal training and enrichment efforts at all U.S. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Theme Parks. Thad oversaw and coordinated the efforts of over 450 animal trainers and keepers at these parks. In short, he had the world’s largest animal training staff as well as the world’s largest collection of trained animals under his purview.
Lacinak was instrumental in developing Sea World’s and Busch Gardens’ industry-leading behavior and training techniques, husbandry procedures, and spectacular killer whale shows. Thad led the team that won the prestigious Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association in 2007 for the Believe killer whale show. In addition, he has won numerous awards for presentations and workshops at professional conferences.
Lacinak is a member of the International Marine Animal Trainers Association where he was Vice President in 1986 and he was co-founder and president of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance. He is frequently sought by the media for his expert opinion on a wide variety of animal-related issues and has been featured on CNN's Larry King Live, Fox News, and Good Morning America, among other shows. He was featured in the documentary, Great White Shark: Beyond the Cage of Fear in 2013. He also produced and was featured in a documentary, Elephant Trainer in the Room, that examined the conflicting methods for teaching Elephants. Both documentaries are available on Amazon.
Since the publication of the New York Time’s best-seller, Whale Done!, which sold over a million copies in eighteen languages, Thad continues to present keynote speeches, seminars and workshops globally to major corporations and US Government agencies explaining the Whale Done process, vastly improving working relationships. Whale Done Parenting was released in the Fall of 2009. A third book in the Whale Done series, The Whale Done School, was released in the Spring of 2012.
