FIVE STAR EMPLOYER - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Founder and CEO of RestaurantOwner.Com

Jim is the founder and CEO of RestaurantOwner.com, an online community of over 7,000 independent restaurant operators. He has held several operational and managerial positions in the restaurant industry including unit manager, controller, and CFO. For 15 years Jim practiced as an advisor and CPA to numerous independent restaurants. In the mid-90s, he trained thousands of restaurant and financial professionals on restaurant accounting and controls in live seminars throughout the U.S. He has also been a popular industry speaker and seminar leader for organizations such as the National Restaurant Association, SYSCO, Papa John's Pizza, Walt Disney and the American Institute of CPAs.

JoAnna specializes in creating more positive, value based and strengths-based workplaces where employees are motivated, and customers are happy and loyal. She helps her clients activate the link between positivity and profitability creating "great companies to work for and do business with." She is a highly rated speaker and a Certified Chief Happiness Officer through Florida International University and a graduate of Dr. Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness Coaching program. She is certified in Neurolinguistics, The Art of Empowerment, and Applied Creative Thinking. She teaches workshops on Positive Leadership and does Positive Leadership Coaching for individuals and groups. She has served hundreds of organizations both large and small in all kinds of industries in for-profit and non-profit sectors. She is author of two books on Customer Loyalty and the illustrated gift book "54 Ways to Stay Positive in a Changing Challenging and Sometimes Negative World." She is the Creator of The Practice of Positive Leadership E-Course.

Mark has over 30 years as a Human Resources professional, both as internal Director and Vice President of Human Resources, as well as principal in the Human Resources Consulting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM. He has a history of partnering with business leaders to drive a people-centered culture that focuses on Sales, Safety, and Operations excellence, and delivering programs that drive corporate culture, employee performance, and financial results. He as Bachelor's degree in both Communication and Linguistics from the California State University at Northridge, and a Master's degree in Communication from Brigham Young University. He taught at the University of Utah, the University of Southern California, and BYU-Sale Lake Center. He has had the opportunity across many countries, including Canada (BC Hydro), the UK and South Africa (SAB Miller), Egypt (Ministry of Telecommunications and Ministry of Education), and the UAE (Etisalat). He has worked with several key companies in the oil and gas and power industries, including Texaco, IBM, Duke Energy, Marathon Oil, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators, Southwestern Bell, and AOL. He is married with five children and five grandchildren. He is a club master and vice president of the Midland Bridge Club.

Job Titles:

• CMC

Mel is one of North America's leading authorities on how to recruit, hire, onboard, and retain Five Star employees. A pragmatic businessman, consultant, speaker, author, and trainer for over 40 years/ Mel is also the founder and president of Humetrics, a leading developer of systems and tools to recruit, select, and retain an exceptional workforce. Mel has authored numerous research studies, white papers, and 100's of articles. Mel's seven books include the bestselling Hire Tough, Manage Easy, and The 5 Firsts: A Simple System to On-board, Engage and Retain Top Talent. Mel was awarded the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional designation in 1999 and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. He has also served on numerous boards, including the Workforce Institute and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

Job Titles:

• Chief Human Resources Officer

Ruth has served as the chief human resources officer for non-profits, government organizations, and major corporations over her long career in business. A senior executive and thought leader, she has led groundbreaking people and culture initiatives, including DE&I and employee development policies, to create workplaces with best-in-class employee retention. Appointed as Massachusetts's first Chief Human Resources and Diversity Officer during the Romney Administration, Ruth spearheaded initiatives in diversity and STEM education. She went on to serve as the first CEO of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, a position she held for five years, merging all Massachusetts Girl Scout councils into one council with 45,000 girls and 18,000 volunteers Her outstanding leadership has been recognized by the Pioneer Institute's Excellence in Government award as well as the Abigail Adams award from the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus for her continued commitment to advancing leadership opportunities and equality for girls and women. She is a member of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and spearheads the Girls Advocacy initiative, a position appointed by the Governor. Since retiring from the Girl Scouts, she has devoted herself to working with nonprofit organizations to build their leadership capacity and fund-raising expertise. Ruth is on the Board for multiple philanthropies and is particularly passionate about advancing opportunities for women and advocating for gender equity and against domestic violence for over 30 years. She is a published author, and frequent lecturer on the topics of leadership, the women's movement, and race and gender equity.