MEET THE BOARD

Stan Friedman, Chairman

An nineteen year veteran of franchising, Stan Friedman is an “outside the box” thinker.  In 1998, while directing global development for Blimpie International, he created an Urban Expansion initiative that was heralded by the media, as well as leaders of both the public and private sectors.  This culminated in an invitation to the White House, where he participated in the President’s “Conference for Community Empowerment.”   Stan’s Urban Expansion Initiative was later honored as Blimpie’s Innovation of the Year.   
From 2003-2006, Stan served as Executive Vice President and Partner at the Wing Zone Franchise Corp., where he led their development charge, growing the Atlanta based chain to nearly 100 units.  Recently, Stan became partner and President of newly formed ACI Franchising, LLC.  For more than 20 years, ACI has been serving corporate America in the identification and administration of tax credits and incentives.  ACI is the only company of its kind, offering franchise opportunities in this very lucrative space.  
Stan is the Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Franchise Alliance, a charter Board member of the IFA's Diversity Institute, serving as its First Vice-Chair and Chairman of the IFA’s Minorities in Franchising Committee.  Stan is a frequent speaker at business development conferences nationwide and is a regular contributor to the IFA’s Franchising World Magazine.

Karen Spencer,Vice Chairman
Karen Spencer is the Founder and CEO of Fran-Systems Worldwide, Inc., an Atlanta based franchise education and consulting company. Karen’s background encompasses over 20 years experience with all levels and types of franchise companies, such as Arby’s, BackYard Burgers, Original Cookie Company, Jamba Juice and others relating to franchising best practices and systems. Karen has written and published over 100 franchise educational articles and programs.  She currently holds a second term on the Board of Trustees for the Educational Foundation with the International Franchise Association.  She also serves as an Ambassador to Franchising for the IFA.  Through the SBA she volunteers her time to conduct free classes to the public about “How to Purchase a Franchise”, teaches at many Universities for franchising and has been a speaker in the industry for over 10 years.  For this work, she has received many awards for her dedication to franchise education.  On a final note, Karen has recently been appointed the new PINK Franchise Expert for PINK magazine. 

Martin L. Tanenbaum
Martin is a Tax Principal at Tauber & Balser, P.C. His extensive accounting experience includes corporate, individual and partnership income tax.  Well versed in gift and estate taxes, Martin helps Tauber & Balser, P.C. clients with their estate planning needs. Martin’s practice includes expertise in the retail and restaurant industries.
As advisor to many family owned businesses, Martin provides guidance on issues concerning business operations, the preservation of individual and corporate net worth and the interrelationship between family members and non-family executives. His responsibilities to clients also include acting as part of a “think tank” in dealing with economic, business and family issues.

Steve Romaniello  
Steve Romaniello was named president of Schlotzsky's in November 2006, in addition to his reponsibilities as president and CEO of FOCUS Brands, Inc., the franchisor and operator of over 1,750 ice ream stores, bakeries, sandwich shops, and cafes in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 33 foreign countries under the brand names Carvel, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky's, and the franchisor of Seattle's Best Coffee on militray bases and in certain international markets. 
Steve joined Carvel in January 2002 as president of the franchise and foodservice division, and laid the foundation for the strategic turnaround of one of America's favortie ice cream brands.  Initially inheriting a dissatisfied frachise system that was rapidly diminishing in size, Steve and his team successfully increased franchisee satisfaction from 19% to 92% and opened over 150 new locations.
Prior to accepting the post at Carvel, Romaniello was president and chief operation officer of US Franchise Systems (USFS).  Joining at the company's inception as a senior vice president, Romaniello helped grow USFS from one brand with 27 hotels in nine states to three brands and over 500 hotels open in 47 states and five countries.
Before joining USFS, Romaniello was Holiday Inn Worldwide's youngest vice president, responsible for franchise services, support, and training for the 1,700 hotels in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean operating under the Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands.  During his tenure, Holiday increased its franchise sales from 60 in 1991 to 300 franchisees in 1995.  From 1988 to 1991, he held various positions with Days Inn of America.
A native of Stamford, CT and Tufts University graduate, Romaniello is a member of the Board of Directors of Fast Signs, the leading franchisor in the sign and graphics industry; the International Franchise Association (IFA) and the IFA's Diversity Institute.  He also serves on the Leadership Advisory Council for the Elliot Leadership Institute.  Romaniello resides in Atlanta with his wife, Gina, and two sons.
 
Scott Pressly
Founder and Managing Partner of Van Ness Capital Advisors, With a unique background as both an operator and principal investor, Mr.Pressly has experienced first-hand the challenges and opportunities of operating, growing and capitalizing franchise businesses.
Before founding Van Ness Capital Advisors, Mr. Pressly was a Managing Director at Roark Capital Group, a private equity firm with $550 million of capital under management. At Roark, he evaluated hundreds of franchise companies for potential acquisition and was directly responsible for sourcing and closing multiple investments. He also was actively involved post-close as a board member for brands such as Schlotzsky’s, McAlister’s Deli, Fastsigns, Money Mailer, Cinnabon, and Carvel Ice Cream.
Mr. Pressly also has significant direct operating experience. Currently, he is a multi-unit franchisee for Edible Arrangements and was previously Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for U.S. Franchise Systems, a multi-brand hotel franchisor. He has also held leadership roles with The Walt Disney Company and Dow Chemical USA.
With extensive relationships in the franchise community, Mr. Pressly is active on several franchise related Boards including being a founding member and Director of the Atlanta Franchise Alliance, a Director on the International Franchise Association Supplier Forum Advisory Board, and a Trustee for the IFA Educational Foundation. Additionally, he is a frequent expert writer and speaker addressing capitalization alternatives for franchisors.
Mr. Pressly received his Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science, Magna Cum Laude, in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida.