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David Yates was raised in Texas, Oklahoma, and Iowa, with his five siblings. His father was a physician. After graduation from the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1985 with a business degree, David went to work for Arthur Young & Company, a Big–Eight accounting firm. In 1987, he was hired by a private group of companies located in Florida. In 1989, this group purchased the rights to the IRONMAN Triathlon events and brand and he became the Executive VP in 1989 and moved to CEO in 1992. During his tenure, the IRONMAN brand was established as a legitimate multi-million dollar international sports brand, with TV packages on NBC and ESPN, and many international media outlets.
Yates joined Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) in 2006 as its CEO and left in 2020. He assumed this position at a time when CMA was on the verge of insolvency, and created a vision, business model and an award-winning management team that has successfully resurrected CMA into a thriving global organization. When Winter the disabled dolphin came to Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Yates had the foresight to see her story of survival as an inspiration to others. He initiated a marketing and media plan that promoted the story worldwide and attracted the attention of animal lovers and individuals with life challenges, who would learn from her story. This story has been told in nearly all major national and international media outlets, including NBC’s Today Show, Good Morning America, Oprah, BBC, CNN and thousands of others. Winter’s story has also been featured in magazines such as People, Reader’s Digest, Time and Women’s World. Yates’ unwavering vision has come to fruition and drawn an unparalleled amount of tourists to the Clearwater, Florida area to see Winter and learn more about her story and CMA’s mission. These initiatives and the increase in attendance have created a multi-billion dollar economic impact for hotels, restaurants and other attractions in the Clearwater Beach area and Statewide.
Yates has produced a documentary on Winter’s story and has helped produce six books about her. Yates is also Co-Producer/Executive Producer of the #1 box office hit Dolphin Tale and its sequel, Dolphin Tale 2, the Warner Bros.-based Alcon Entertainment major motion pictures that star Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, Austin Highsmith and Austin Stowell. Yates also directed and wrote the documentary “Winter, the Dolphin That Can” and the web series Winter the Dolphin, Saving Winter. Yates and his wife Joan reside in Palm Harbor, Florida and have four grown children.
Awards/recognition:
• 3 Sports Emmy Awards – IRONMAN NBC Shows
• 3 International Monitor Awards – IRONMAN NBC Shows
• Film Florida Legends Award
• Governor’s Business Ambassador Award (Florida)
• Tampa Bay Business Journal Nonprofit of the Year
• Tampa Bay Business Journal Top Management Team
• Achievement Award – Florida Motion Picture & Television Association
• Tourism Person of the Year – Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Tourism Person of the Year – Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce
• Nonprofit National Turnaround Award – Turnaround Management Association
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