ACE 2026 Elections - vpres

I am honored to accept the nomination for vice president of ACE. My connection to this organization goes back to 2000, when I worked as a ride operator at Visionland Theme Park and had my first experience witnessing the enthusiasm and passion ACE members bring to every event.

After relocating to Dallas in 2010, I joined ACE through my now-husband, Xander Lee, and quickly found my footing as a volunteer in the South Central region. That hands-on involvement grew into a national role when I joined the Survey Committee, helping build out ACE’s first dedicated survey team and establishing our post event and general member survey process. I also supported media coverage for new ride openings in the region, beginning with Texas Stingray. In 2022, those experiences led to a conversation with Elizabeth Ringas that resulted in an invitation to join the Executive Committee (EC) as membership director, a role I have proudly served in since September of that year. Serving on the EC has given me a deep understanding of how ACE operates and what our members need. I am particularly proud of the work we have done to modernize our merchandise program, and I look forward to continuing that momentum as we improve our volunteer processes under new leadership.

As vice president, one of my primary responsibilities will be overseeing the Disciplinary Committee (DC). I believe the DC is most effective when it operates through a clear, consistent and transparent process that members can trust. My goal is to ensure that the process is well-defined and that the committee is empowered to fulfill its role fully and fairly. To get there, I will engage with both current and former DC members to understand what has worked well and where there is room to improve. I want to build a process that is structured enough to be consistent, flexible enough to handle the range of situations that arise and transparent enough that members have confidence in how concerns are addressed. Getting this right is important to me because it is important to our members.

Another responsibility of the vice president is leading ACE Cares, and this is an area I am genuinely excited about. The amusement industry has a long tradition of supporting charitable causes, and ACE has a real opportunity to be an active and visible part of that effort. I want ACE Cares to be a program our members are proud of and that the industry recognizes as meaningful. My first priority will be finding the right volunteer leader for this committee. ACE runs on the passion and dedication of its volunteers, and ACE Cares deserves someone at the helm who brings both organizational skill and a deep commitment to giving back. With the right person leading it, I am confident we can rebuild this program into something that makes a lasting impact and strengthens ACE’s relationship with the broader industry.

I am also passionate about listening to our members and hearing what is important to them. One thing I would like to do is work with the next EC to return the general member survey to an annual cadence and improve participation. This will allow the committee to hear directly from members more often on what we are doing well and what can be improved. The vice president is also responsible for planning in-person EC meetings and other duties as assigned by the president. I look forward to working closely with whoever is elected president and helping lead ACE with purpose and collaboration.

At its core, everything I have outlined comes back to one thing: our members. ACE has thrived for nearly five decades because of the people who love this hobby, show up for each other at events and give their time to make this organization what it is. As vice president, my commitment is to serve those members with integrity, to listen more than I speak and to work alongside whoever is elected president and the full EC to move ACE forward together. I am not running to advance an agenda of my own. I am running because I believe in what ACE can be, and I want to help get us there. 

My name is Jackie Edwards. I live in Southern California. I love to help. It’s a fact. If you have met me, you probably know this. Being the parent of two grown children, I have done my fair share of volunteering. I was a soccer mom at first, then team treasurer, manager and coach. I then moved on to volunteering on the soccer board as assistant registrar, head registrar and then became president of our local youth soccer league with over 2,000 players and managed a paid staff. I did this while working full time, continuing to raise my children and even volunteering with the high school drama program.

I am originally from a city in Manitoba, Canada, with no roller coasters and had never ridden one until I moved to southern California in 1995. I was hooked! I joined ACE in 2008, when I was at Six Flags Magic Mountain with some friends and saw a group of folks wearing lanyards. I asked what they were at the park for, and they told me that they were part of the American Coaster Enthusiasts and they were having their event that weekend. I was fascinated with this, and when I got home, I joined instantly! My friends did not, but they certainly took advantage of the ability to attend ACE events.

I did only local events at first, but in 2014, ACE had the opportunity to participate in the filming of the Travel Channel’s “Insane Coaster Wars.” The filming was for ACE members only, so my non-ACE friends could not participate. For the first time, I was “alone.” That day changed my life. When you are with a friend group, you tend to keep with them. That day opened my world to talking with new people and making new friends. I have not looked back. I started traveling to ride coasters and went on many adventures. My first national ACE event was the Preservation Conference in 2017. Again, I was hooked! I loved visiting new parks, meeting new people, of course the rides and the sense of community.

In 2019, I joined Steve Berto as an assistant rep in the Pacific Southwest region. Steve and I worked to expand our team, which now includes Arizona and Nevada. We worked on using social media to its fullest extent, which meant expanding our team even further. In 2022, I became the head rep of our region. During my tenure, I continued to build my team, and I have strengthened relationships with many of the parks in our region, and we are now hosting annual events that draw those from all over the U.S. and Europe. Our region now has a group of 10 reps and hosts six official events and multiple informal events each year.

I love talking to people and meeting new folks. It’s something that really drives me. I want to hear their stories. Getting to know the people that you are spending time with brings us together and creates community. That is one of the things I love about ACE. I want to be a part of the club and continue to drive that sense of community and membership. With ACE being around for almost 50 years and now being international, we have access to such a diverse group of people. I want to ensure that all members feel welcome and acknowledged. ACE can continue to thrive and grow without members of the club feeling left behind and all members feeling like they are included.

I feel I am qualified for the position of vice president because of what I can bring to the club. My experience with multiple positions of leadership within a youth soccer association has given me a unique perspective on interpersonal relationships and working within a committee. As soccer league president, I never wanted to surround myself with those who would only agree with me. I feel that having opinions that don’t necessarily align with mine is okay. I have not served on the ACE Executive Committee before, and I will have much to learn, but I am not afraid of a challenge. I am organized, efficient and love to keep busy. I also love planning events, so the fact that the ACE vice president is called upon to help plan Executive Committee meetings is a plus. The Disciplinary Committee also falls under the purview of the vice president. This is something I feel very strongly about and hope I can be a good leader when it comes to ensuring that our members feel safe when attending events. I believe the Code of Conduct should always drive all ACE members’ behaviors, even when not at ACE events.

Thank you for your consideration!

Proud Member of ACE since 2022.

Current Role in ACE as ACE Europe Regional Representative.

I live a life fueled by passion, dedication and the courage to step forward when it matters most. Based in Hasselt, Belgium, I’ve built not only a career but also a journey defined by commitment — to people, to purpose and to the communities I believe in.

In 2024, I married Ann, the love of my life, in the magical setting of Dollywood — a place that perfectly reflects who I am: drawn to joy, thrill and a sense of wonder. Together with our two cats and two dogs, we’ve created a home filled with warmth, laughter and loyalty.

My passions have always been close to my heart. I love comic books, movies, games and, of course, roller coasters. But for me, roller coasters are more than rides — they are a gateway to a global community that has shaped a large part of my life.

Professionally, I work in Belgium’s energy sector within corporate affairs and regulatory. I have the honor of representing my colleagues at an international level as Belgian secretary within the energy group my company belongs to. It’s a responsibility I carry with pride — bringing people together, navigating complex challenges and ensuring every voice is heard.

My journey in the coaster community began in 2000 at an event in the Netherlands with the European Coaster Club (ECC). What started as curiosity quickly turned into commitment. Around 2003, I stepped forward as Belgium representative, and in 2012 I joined the Executive Committee. I also founded ECC Benelux, driven by a clear goal: to provide better service and stronger connections for local members.

Leadership, however, also means making difficult decisions. After the Winterwarmer event, I chose to step away from the ECC due to internal struggles and differences in vision. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary to stay true to what I believe a community should be.

Still, my passion for the coaster world never faded.

When former president Robert Ulrich approached me — more than once — to help establish ACE Europe, I initially hesitated. But the more I reflected, the clearer it became: the urge to contribute, to rebuild and to do more for this community was simply too strong to ignore. So I said yes.

For more than four years now, I’ve been leading ACE Europe with a dedicated team of assistant representatives, building it in the truespirit of what ACE stands for. Together, we’ve created something strong, inclusive and inspiring — something that truly serves its members.

And now, I feel ready for the next step.

It’s time for me to bring my experience, my passion and my vision to ACE worldwide.

My vision for the coming years is clear.

I believe our association should bring roller coaster enthusiasts together by encouraging meetings, shared experiences and knowledge at the local level. To me, the true strength of an association lies in the active involvement of its members and in creating an accessible, enjoyable environment where our shared passion takes center stage. I want to ensure that we continue to focus on facilitating local initiatives — giving members the space and trust to shape the association in a way that fits their own context.

Fun, connection and voluntary participation must always remain at our core. At the same time, I strongly believe in our responsibility within the international coaster community. From that perspective, I want to support global cooperation, knowledge exchange and mutual respect — contributing to the development, safety and preservation of roller coasters and attraction culture as a whole.

I stand by the principle: act locally, support globally. We should empower local autonomy and initiative while actively supporting and facilitating international collaboration.

I also strive for a balanced and healthy organizational structure — one where the structure serves the members, where leadership plays a facilitating role and where decisions are built on trust, transparency and involvement. Success  should  not  be  measured  purely by growth or performance but by continuity, solidarity and above all, the enjoyment and engagement of our members.

At the same time, I want to be very clear about something practical: if I am elected, my location in Belgium will not be a barrier to effective leadership or participation. With today’s communication tools — online meetings, virtual collaboration and flexible ways of working — we can stay closely connected regardless of distance. I am fully committed to being present, accessible and engaged whenever needed because I am ready and able to perform the duties of the vice president as defined by ACE’s constitution.

Because in the end, this is what truly matters: a community that people are proud to be part of.
And that is what I will continue to build — locally, across Europe and worldwide.