Join our Design Panel: Tom Peters, Kip Wasenkom, Kai Spande & Greg Waldron

Location: The Main Concours Tent  |  Telluride Ski & Golf Driving Range  |  Mountain Village

Panel Time: Saturday, Sept 26 | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Concours event is from 10:00 AM- 2:00 PM

Awards at 2:15PM

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Tom Peters

Director of Design, GM Performance Car Studio (Retired)

  • The Legacy: A lifetime passion for cars and design fuels Tom Peters’ world. Retired in 2019 as Director of Exterior Design of GM’s Performance Car studio. Peters spent his 40-year career designing numerous concept, production and specialty vehicles in addition to mentoring hundreds of designers.
  • Over the course of his career, he has directed the design of many GM’s most
    acclaimed vehicles. His vast portfolio includes C6 through C8 Corvettes, the reintroduction of the Camaro including the award winning fifth and sixth generation, as well as the Cadillac Sixteen concept. Recently, the 2020 Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette and 2019 Camaro ZL1.
  • From 2009 through September 2019, his responsibilities also included oversight of the design teams assigned to Chevrolet Performance Vehicles in addition to Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac Truck and SUV Studios.
  • His designs have been a major topic of celebration. The sixth generation Chevrolet
    Camaro was named Motor Trend’s 2016 Car of the year. And in 2014 his team celebrated a sweep of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year award at the Detroit Auto Show with the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Silverado.
  • “The work on the 2014 Corvette has been especially rewarding for our team,” said Peters.
    “Bringing the Stingray back has been a personal goal for well over a decade.
    Tom graduated from the Art Center of College of Design in Transportation Design in 1980.
  • He was inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a co-curator for the National Corvette Museum.
  • Tom is currently involved and consults on various automotive and architectural projects.

Kip Wasenko

Director of Design, GM Performance Division (Retired)

  • The Legacy:Kip Wasenko began his 40-year Design Career at General Motors in June 1968. During this time his career included the U.S., Europe and Australia. He retired in May 2008.
    At GM Design Kip was Chief Designer of Saturn, Chevrolet Studio, Oldsmobile Studio, Cadillac Studio and several Advance Studios. He was Director of Design of the GM Performance Division and Specialty Vehicles.
    In 1973 Kip received his first Design Patent on the Two-Rotor Mid-Engine Corvette Concept Car which is now on display at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY.
    Kip also designed many Indy 500 and Daytona 500 Pace Cars. The most exotic was the Mid-Engine Buick Wildcat with its exposed Indy 500 Engine by Buick. This Mid-Engine Wildcat designed in 1984-85 was a true Supercar Concept that would rival today’s million dollar Supercars.His Judging Experience dates back to 1985, giving him the qualifications to Judge the most significant Automotive Concours Events.
  • Kip is best known for the Design of the Cadillac EVOQ named “Best Concept Car” at the 1999 North American International Auto Show. He initiated the new Art & Science Design Direction which continued evolving thru 2022. The EVOQ was sold to the public as the Cadillac XLR-V. Kip applied the same Design Philosophy to the CTS-V, STS-V and the Cadillac LMP Race Car developed with Riley & Scott that raced LeMans. In addition he designed the winning CTS-VR World Challenge Cadillac Race Cars by Pratt &Miller.
  • In February 2005, Motor Trend Magazine recognized Kip’s contribution on their Top 50 Power List for the Renaissance of Cadillac, “He’s made Cadillacs cool again.” In July 2025, the French-American Consulate honored Kip for his 40-year International Design Career & Racing at the Meadow Brook Mansion in Rochester, Michigan.
  • Kip is a Ferrari enthusiast and has owned his 1970 Ferrari 246GT Dino Type L since 1975. Kip is an active member of the Ferrari Club of America Michigan Chapter. Kip’s passion for Ferrari’s began in 1964 when he was studying to become an Automotive Designer. The designs of Ferrari were a great influence on his Design Philosophy and contributed to his success in his Design Career. Since owning his Dino he has shown and participated in many Ferrari Concours events and has won many awards.
  • He is an amateur race car driver and has just completed his 33rd season racing his GT Corvette in SCCA, Waterford Hills Club Racing and VSCDA Racing Events.

Kai Spande

Director, Bowling Green Assembly Plant (Retired)

  • The Legacy:Kai Spande recently retired from a 32-year executive career in the automotive industry, most recently serving as Plant Director for the Chevrolet Corvette. In that role, he oversaw production of the C7, guiding one of the most celebrated generations of America’s sports car with a focus on quality, performance, and manufacturing excellence. He also led the complete plant transformation and advanced manufacturing integration required to launch the next-generation mid-engine C8 — one of the most significant milestones in the brand’s history.Leading the Corvette plant was a career highlight for Kai, who purchased his first Corvette in 1992. Since then, he has owned and restored more than ten Corvettes along with other performance-oriented vehicles.Throughout his career at General Motors, Kai held manufacturing leadership roles at facilities in Germany, Japan, New York, Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Corvette Museum, supporting the preservation and celebration of Corvette’s legacy, and assists with driving events at the NCM Motorsports Park.Beyond the garage, Kai enjoys spending time with his wife, two adult children, and extended family and friends

Greg Waldron

Currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky

  • Greg is an accomplished hospitality executive with over three decades of leadership experience spanning theme parks, resorts, and destination experiences. Throughout his career, Gregory has built a reputation for driving growth through visionary strategy, operational excellence, and a relentless focus on the guest experience. His leadership philosophy is rooted in innovation, collaboration, and transforming customer moments into meaningful, lasting relationships.
  • Currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of the National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Gregory oversees the organization’s strategic direction, planning, and operational performance. His leadership has diversified revenue streams, set record-breaking financial milestones, and fostered a spirit of creative innovation across the entire museum campus. By championing technology investments and community partnerships, he has positioned the Motorsports Park as both a regional destination and a model of customer-focused growth.
  • Before joining the Corvette Museum, Gregory was Corporate Director of Waterparks for Great Wolf Resorts, where he led operations across 19 properties in the U.S. and Canada. He strengthened enterprise-wide performance through guest engagement initiatives, innovative marketing strategies, and operational process optimization. His initiatives resulted in double-digit improvements in guest satisfaction and millions in additional revenue. Gregory also played a key role in strategic development for new domestic and international resort projects, ensuring timely, fiscally disciplined expansion across markets.
  • Earlier in his career, Gregory held multiple leadership roles spanning 29+ years for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts based in Orlando, Florida, culminating as Senior Leader of Corporate Experience Planning and Integration. In this global role, he directed multidisciplinary teams shaping guest experience strategy, crisis management readiness, and the integration of new resort and park developments, including the successful launch of Shanghai Disneyland and major projects such as the Aulani and Disneyland Paris’s Villages Nature in partnership with Center Parcs. Gregory’s strategic insight and dedication to excellence consistently strengthened Disney’s global brand and guest loyalty.
  • Complementing his professional achievements, Gregory brings a solid educational foundation with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Hospitality Management from Old Dominion University (coursework completed), as well as advanced executive and leadership development through institutions such as Forbes, Harvard, and specialized industry training in innovation, emotional intelligence, and performance coaching.
  • A community-minded leader, Gregory volunteers with Shriners Children’s Hospital, has served as Past Master of Masonic Lodge #80 in Kissimmee, Florida, and has organized corporate charity initiatives such as the Great Wolf MS Ride. He is also a proud veteran, having served as a Search & Rescue Swimmer in the U.S. Navy, where he honed the resilience, teamwork, and discipline that continue to define his approach to leadership today.
  • Gregory Waldron’s career reflects an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and service—guidingteams to deliver world-class experiences that inspire loyalty, growth, and transformation across the global hospitality landscape.

Why this panel is “Legendary”:

This isn’t just a discussion; it’s a reunion of the men who sat in the room when the most difficult decisions in Corvette history were made. These four icons represent the entire lifecycle of the world’s longest-running sports car:

  • The Design: Tom Peters & Kip Wasenko (The first sketches)
  • The Engineering: Kai Spande (The final torque-spec)
  • The Experience: Greg Waldron (The spirit of Motorsports)