Past Speakers
Rod & David Entrekin
Executive Director at Ana'go Partners & Executive Director of City Church-Eastside
Rod began the first 15 years of his professional career in finance and IT Services working with the U.S. Treasury, Unisys Corporation and A.G. Edwards Securities. Since 1985, he has been an integral leader in helping start and grow new community churches, serving as the founding Director of Church Planting for Perimeter Ministries International. In addition, he has helped similar organizational networks in North America as both a consultant and Board Member.
Rod excels at relational and organizational diagnostics to help uncover the potential within a person, group or organization and then coach them toward the fulfillment of that potential. His favorite role is coaching Senior Pastors to thrive personally and in so doing help develop a thriving church. He both founded and became the principal of The Church Health Group which focuses on organizational health assessments. In 2020 he joined the team of Ana’go Partners where he now serves as the Executive Director. Rod and his wife live in Auburn Georgia where he thoroughly enjoys living the country life.
The ultimate adventurer, David began his career in banking and investment services in Zurich, Switzerland with a later move to working with start-ups. He co-founded a monthly subscription box business followed by a luxury adventure travel business. Ultimately, sensing a spiritual calling, he went on to pursue a Masters of Divinity degree and now serves as the Executive Director of City Church-Eastside in downtown Atlanta.
Boyd Bailey
President of the Georgia Division of the National Christian Foundation (NCF), Founder of Wisdom Hunters, Inc., and spiritual author
Boyd began serving as the National Christian Foundation President of the Georgia Division in March 2016. Prior to that time, Boyd was the co-founder and CEO of Ministry Ventures, a faith-based non-profit, which has trained and coached over 1000 ministries in the best practices of prayer, board, ministry models, administration and fundraising. Prior to Ministry Ventures, Boyd was the National Director for Crown Financial Ministries and an Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church of Atlanta. Boyd serves on numerous boards including: Ministry Ventures, Wisdom Hunters, Souly Business and The River Foundation. Boyd has led six radical mentoring groups over the past 10 years.
He is the author of Wisdom Hunters devotionals, and is the founder of Wisdom Hunters, Inc., an Atlanta-
based ministry created to encourage Christians (a.k.a. wisdom hunters) to apply God’s unchanging Truth in a changing world.
Boyd received his Bachelor of Arts from Jacksonville State University and his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Theological Seminary. Boyd and his wife Rita live in Roswell, Georgia. They have been married 43 years and are blessed with four daughters and four son-in-laws who love Jesus. Boyd and Rita enjoy missions and investing in young couples, as well as hiking, reading, traveling, watching college football, and hanging out with their kids and 11 grandkids whenever possible.
Dr. Randy Ross
Founder and CEO of Remarkable!, bestselling author, compelling communicator and craftsman of culture
Dr. Ross is the Founder and CEO of Remarkable!, a premiere leadership development partner that helps companies create better and compelling company cultures. Dr. Ross is also a bestselling author of multiple books, including Remarkable!, The Roadmap to Remarkable, Relationomics: Business Powered by Relationships, and Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope.
Working with brands like GE Appliances, McDonald’s, Cox Communications, Compass Group, Chick-fil-A, Panasonic, Keller Williams and the Intercontinental Hotel Group, he has inspired and enabled countless people to find new passion and purpose in their work, work better together in teams and have greater influence and impact.
As the CEO of Remarkable! and a former Chief People Officer, Dr. Ross utilizes his experience to engage audiences worldwide with his keen insight and contagious humor. He is a messenger of practical wisdom and needed hope, untangling the biggest challenges facing today’s business leaders, tomorrow’s workforce and the future marketplace. He lives with his wife, LuAnne, and four children in Atlanta, Georgia.
Andre' Kennebrew
Director of Relationships at Lifeshape International
Andre’ Kennebrew is currently Director of Relationships for Lifeshape International, a conduit organization connecting much needed professional resources to meet the world’s greatest needs. In that context, he also serves on the Board of Water Mission, an organization that is specifically dedicated to bringing safe water to the 2.2 billion people who have none.
Prior to his current position, Andre’ served with Chick-Fil-A for 15 years beginning as a
Franchise Selection Consultant and eventually moving to Senior Project Leader for the Leadership Development Program. With his administrative skill and people focus, Andre’ has also served as the Administrative Pastor with Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Tucker, GA and as a Vice-President at First Union National Bank (Wells Fargo).
Andre’ currently serves as Chairman of the Point University Trustee Board, the Impact 360 Board, and the Water Mission Board. He is a highly sought-after mentor for millennials and GEN Z and is affectionately known as “Coach Kennebrew.”
Andre’ is a 1982 graduate of Davidson College where he was a three-year starter and letterman in Football. He also holds a Master of Ministry Degree from Luther Rice Seminary. He currently resides in Lilburn, GA with his wife Donna, to whom he has been married for 33 years. They have two adult children, Holden and Kristen.
Randy Hicks
President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO)
Randy Hicks is passionate about education, employment, and family formation. Through his involvement at the Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO), Randy utilizes his political science and government background to lead statewide efforts to improve access to quality education for low-income children, promote stronger families, boost adoption safety, and increase employment opportunities for ex-offenders and the chronically unemployed.
He currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of GCO, an independent non-partisan organization that conducts public policy research and mobilizes community resources to address the three elements of the success sequence hat Randy is so passionate about.
From local community to statewide affairs, Randy is sought after for his passion and success n helping strengthen marriages and families and ensuring quality education. Randy started his journey s a political science major and went on to serve on the Supreme Court Commission on Children , Marriage and Family Law, as well as work with the White House to convene a conference focused on marriage-strengthening community initiatives.
Cheryl A. Bachelder
Former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen
Cheryl A. Bachelder is a passionate restaurant industry executive and former CEO of Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. Cheryl is known for her crisp strategic thinking, franchisee-focused approach, superior financial performance and the development of outstanding leaders and teams.
Cheryl joined Popeyes, Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., in November 2007, after serving as an active member of the Board for a year. She brought more than 35 years of experience in brand building, operations, and public-company management at companies like Yum Brands, Domino’s Pizza, RJR Nabisco, The Gillette Company, and The Procter & Gamble Company.
At Popeyes, Cheryl promptly established a Road Map for Results. This strategic framework led to market share gains of eight points, improved guest ratings, and increased restaurant margins (400 basis points in seven years). The improvement in restaurant performance led franchisees to remodel the system and accelerate new unit growth both in the U.S. and abroad. In eight years, the enterprise market cap grew from less than $300 million to over $1.3 billion. At fiscal year-end 2015, Popeyes’ system-wide revenues were $3.1 billion. These revenues were generated by over 2,539 restaurants operated by 360 franchisees and more than 60,000 restaurant employees in the United States, three territories, and 27 foreign countries.
Ms. Bachelder created a culture based on the Popeyes Purpose: to inspire servant leaders to achieve superior results. This purpose was expressed in the six principles of how they worked together. The Popeyes team focus was to serve the franchise owners well; together they pursued a bold ambition for the enterprise. This produced exceptional performance results. In March 2015, Ms. Bachelder published a book chronicling the tenets of the Popeyes turnaround, entitled Dare to Serve, Second Edition – How to drive superior results by serving others.
Prior to serving as Popeyes CEO, Ms. Bachelder revitalized brand performance in both retail and consumer goods companies. She was president and chief concept officer for KFC Corporate (2001-2003), creating growth plans for the U.S. business in collaboration with the franchise owners. From 1995 – 2000, Ms. Bachelder served as vice president of marketing and product development for Domino’s Pizza, Inc. She was the brand architect responsible for contemporizing the restaurant chain’s image and launching the innovative Heatwave bag which improved product quality and drove strong same-store sales growth for five consecutive years across 5,400 units. Prior to her restaurant experience, Ms. Bachelder served as general manager of the LifeSavers Division of RJR Nabisco. Her early career years included brand management roles at The Gillette Company and The Procter & Gamble Company.
Chuck Bengochea
Former President and CEO of The Honeybaked Ham Co.
After his family emigrated from Cuba in 1959, Chuck Bengochea was raised in south Florida and attended Cornell University, where he graduated with a BA in Economics and was selected an Academic All-American Baseball player.
After graduation, Bengochea worked at General Electric and The Coca-Cola Company before joining The HoneyBaked Ham Company of Georgia as the Director of Retail Operations. Two years later he was promoted to Vice President of Retail and two years after that was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In 2003, he was named President and Chief Operating Officer.
In February 2006, HoneyBaked appointed Bengochea the first CEO outside the family that had founded and managed the business for four decades.
Bengochea married his wife, Laurie, after his freshman year and they have been blessed with four children. An avid triathlete, Bengochea is a former member of the United States Long Course Triathlon Team. He has competed in six Iron Man competitions internationally and domestically and will be actively competing throughout 2014 and 2015.
Ron Blue
Financial Advisor & Best-Selling Author
Ron earned his MBA from Indiana University and subsequently joined the management group of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. working in New York City, Dallas and San Francisco. In 1970, he founded an Indianapolis-based CPA firm that grew to be one of the 50 largest CPA firms in the United States. After leaving the firm in 1977, he became administrative vice president of Leadership Dynamics International where he developed and taught leadership and management seminars throughout the United States and Africa. In 1979, he began a financial services firm that grew to manage over $2 billion in assets for its more than 5,000 clients nationwide with a staff of over 175 people in 14 regional offices.
Ron is the author of 17 books on personal finance, including the best seller Master Your Money, first published in 1986 and now in its thirtieth printing.
He is featured in the popular six-part Master Your Money video series produced by Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. Ron has appeared on numerous radio and television programs including "Focus on the Family," "Family News in Focus," "The 700 Club," and "Prime Time America”. He also serves on the board of trustees of the Maclellan Foundation and the Sandra and William B. Johnson Foundation, Inc. In 2002, Ron received the Honors Award from the Georgia chapter of the Financial Planning Association (FPA). In 2003, he received the honored designation of Distinguished Entrepreneur from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, his alma mater. Ron and his wife, Judy, live in Atlanta and have five children and eleven grandchildren.
Chris Ediger
Go Intentional; Senior Consultant, GiANT Worldwide
Chris Ediger is a systems, process, and people innovator driven by a passion to help people learn how to become better through intentionality, humility, and focus. He has spent his career helping people and organizations, and has a passion for leadership growth & development. When leaders are fully focused on becoming leaders worth following, and when they are equipped to lead others to do the same, the end result are organizations that everyone wants to work for!
He is the former Vice President of Leadercast, currently a GiANT Worldwide Senior Associate, and Founder of Go Intentional, an innovation consulting firm based in Atlanta, GA.
David Green
Former UGA Quarterback
David Greene was born on June 22, 1982 and raised in Snellville, GA. He attended South Gwinnett High School from 1996-2000. Greene went on to attend the University of Georgia where he played quarterback for the Bulldogs from 01-04. He ended his career with 42 wins, setting the NCAA record for most wins by any quarterback. In the fall of 2004, Greene graduated from UGA’s Terry Business School with a Bachelor Degree in Risk Management and Insurance.
Greene went on to play four years in the National Football League. He was drafted in the 3rd round by the Seattle Seahawks where he was a part of the 2005 NFC Championship team that played the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL. He later played with the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, and Indianapolis Colts.
After Greene’s playing days he returned to Gwinnett County where he now resides with his wife Veronica and two boys Jordan (6) and Barrett (3). In July 2009, David — along with good friend and former Bulldog Matt Stinchcomb – joined forces with Seacrest Partners to open a full-service insurance brokerage firm to service the Atlanta marketplace. Over the last three years Seacrest Partners has been selected to the “Bulldog 100” by University of Georgia’s Alumni Association. This award honors the top 100 fastest-growing UGA alumni companies.
Greene is very involved in the community, serving on boards such as the Gwinnett FCA, Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation, and the Greater Gwinnett Championship. Likewise, David has enjoyed his opportunity to speak at many philanthropic banquets such as the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter, United Way of Gwinnett, and Salvation Army.
Congressman Jody Hice
Representative of Georgia's 10th Congressional District
Jeremie Kubicek
Cofounder of the GIANT Family of Companies and Former CEO of the Leadercast and Catalyst Conferences
After a near tragic accident, Jeremie’s philosophy on life and work was transformed to partner in the creation of GiANT. Over the past 16 years, Jeremie has created many divisions of GiANT and in 2007, he and a group of investors acquired the John Maxwell entities, where the Catalyst Conferences were developed into a National brand along with Leadercast out of the Atlanta based GiANT offices.
During that period of time Jeremie helped to successfully launch many programs and book launches with thought leaders such as John Maxwell, Henry Cloud, Mark Sanborn and many others.
In 2013, Jeremie moved to London to partner with Steve Cockram on the expansion of GiANT Worldwide. Since then GiANT has been implementing a 21st Century people development system that truly works. Working with companies in over 14 countries, over 100 GiANT’s are known for their unique style of development and the visual tools and language that spread to over 90% of employee bases.
Peter Lovelace
Financial Advisor & Best-Selling Author
Peter Lovelace is the former Club Manager for the Atlanta Athletic Club, a nationally and internationally recognized facility dating back to 1898. A recipient of the Rising Star award, Peter seeks to create an exceptional experience for everyone by serving his team members as well as the general membership.
To him, the key to success is practicing a “say yes” mentality and having a belief that the Club is simply an extension of the home, offering a sense of well-being and comfort for everyone. Prior to his current position, Peter was the Director of Operations at Bethesda Country Club and the Ritz-Carlton Club located in Jupiter, Florida.
Scott MacLellan
CEO of TouchPoint Support Services & Morrison Living
Scott MacLellan serves as Chief Executive Officer for TouchPoint Support Services & Morrison Living providing a variety of services to hospitals and senior living facilities across the country. Services that TouchPoint and Morrison provide include food and nutrition, environmental, linen distribution, valet parking, plant operations, meals on wheels, and patient transportation.
Morrison and TouchPoint have separately been named as one of the best places to work in healthcare. TouchPoint has also been featured in a case study written by the Harvard Business School.
An unwavering champion of the foodservice, environmental, and healthcare industries, Scott has spent his entire 35 year career in these fields. Previously, he was CEO of Morrison Management Specialists, leading the company to double in size in just seven years. Before that, he was Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Foodbuy, now the largest foodservice buying organization in the country. Along with his co-founder, he raised over $30 million in venture capital and debt financing – starting out as the sole employee.
Within two years, the company had over 1,000 client locations, $5 billion in purchasing volume, and proprietary technology developed in house that remains cutting edge in the industry.
He has extensive experience in various operations, marketing, technology, sales, and procurement roles including president, general manager, vice president of sales, director of national accounts, director of marketing, and director of procurement with Alliant Food Service, as well as region manager and sales manager with Baxter Health Care Corporation. He began his initial career in 1983 with American Hospital Supply as an operations manager.
Scott received a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia. He has raised substantial funds for multiple non-profit organizations and is the author of three books, including “Amanda’s Gift,” a book dedicated to serving the parents of seriously ill children.
He is married and has two grown children and one grandchild. He and his wife reside in Bluffton, SC.
Dr. Bruce McNicol
Co-Founder and President Emeritus of TruFace
Dr. Bruce McNicol is a gifted leader who has served as co-founder and President of Trueface for over 25 years. God has used the teaching wisdom, global vision, and business skills of Bruce to help Trueface offer breakthrough experiences of grace for thousands around the world. Leaders in all spheres of influence have found God's lasting resolution for their life issues and key relationships as they have journeyed with Bruce.
With degrees in finance law, theology, leadership and organizational development, Bruce’s gifting to write to diverse readers and leaders has proved true in the best-sellers he has co-authored: The Cure, The Ascent of a Leader, Bo’s Café, Behind The Mask, The Kingdom Life, and High Trust Cultures.
Audiences in various countries continue discovering hope and freedom from Bruce's story-driven, biblically-anchored teaching.
Having lived in Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, and Phoenix, Bruce has gained a variety of interests through the years, including international cultural trends and needs, music, hiking, reading, comedy, and sports. His constant interest is his wife Janet, who is a home-maker, nurse, and mentor. Bruce and Janet have received extensive tutoring from their three wonderful children and spouses, Nicole, married to Kory, with grandchildren Willo and Elliott; Chad married to Erica, with grandson Elias; and Ryan.
Charlie Paparelli
Founder/Director of Angel Lounge
Charlie spoke at our Leadership Breakfast on Friday, September 18 from 7:30AM-9:00AM at The 1818 Club. You can listen to a recording of his presentation here.
Charlie’s purpose is to help entrepreneurs take the next steps in business and life.
His occupation is professional angel investor. He invests in experienced managers whose dream is to start and own their own multi-million-dollar business. He specializes in seed-stage startup investing with a focus on services companies with technology as a differentiator. His strengths include go to market strategy and getting a startup out of the ground to profitability.
Charlie has invested in over twenty-two early-stage companies. He has three active investments. He also coaches entrepreneurs as part of his community service and deal lead generation. He began his career with a successful startup and exit, enhanced his experience with 10 years in general management of major technology companies, and finally became a professional angel investor. He served on the boards of fifteen companies over the last twenty-three years.
Dave Rae
Former President of Apple Canada
Dave is the Past President of Cables and Kits, a pre-owned Networking Reseller based in Buford, Georgia. The President’s position was held from 2012-2015 and Dave is currently mentoring young business leaders.
Prior to joining Cables and Kits, Dave served as GiANT Impact’s President for 1 year to help establish some new business units and free the Founder to pursue other business opportunities. Before joining GiANT Impact, Dave served as Crown Financial Ministries President from 2000-2008 and from 2008-2010 focused on serving as Crown’s Managing Director of International Operations. Dave’s leadership skills were instrumental in the merger of Crown Ministries and Larry Burkett’s Christian Financial Concepts. Dave led both ministries through rigorous and seamless activities to form Crown Financial Ministries.
Dave served with The Navigators in their Business & Professional division from 1992-2000. During that time he also started two businesses: Hockey Network International (HNI) and EDiX Corporation, a medical transcription company.
In HNI, Dave utilized his professional and spiritual background to provide life-skills mentoring for National Hockey League players. As EDiX’s President and Co-Founder, Dave developed a business using technology to provide nearly instantaneous transcription of patients’ medical records.
Dave was President of Apple Canada from 1985 to 1992. During his tenure as President, Dave received recognition as Apple’s world wide Manager of the Year on three separate occasions. Under his leadership, Canada enjoyed the highest percentage of market share for Apple in the world, growing revenues from $78 million to $323 million.
Dave holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Toronto and has completed Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program (AMP). Dave and his wife Ann reside in Buford, Georgia and are the parents of three adult children, Kelly – married to Chris (grandparents to Benjamin), Brian married to Alison (grandparents to Hadley), and Kristy.
Dr. Randy Ross
Founder and CEO of Remarkable!
Dr. Randy Ross is founder and CEO (Chief Enthusiasm Officer) of Remarkable! A master of cultural transformation, Dr. Ross has a unique understanding of employee engagement and offers practical wisdom for increasing both team morale and performance. The author of Remarkable! and Rodamap to Remarkable!, he has traveled throughout the United States and internationally as a speaker, consultant and coach, building teams and developing leaders. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, LuAnne, and their four children.
In 2008, Dr. Ross founded Remarkable! - a consulting and advisory firm specializing in team development and organizational health. Spending time in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds, Dr. Ross has traveled throughout the United States and internationally as a speaker, consultant and coach, building teams and developing leaders. A compelling communicator, Dr. Ross has the keen sensitivity to speak to the heart of leaders and inspires elevated performance among teams. Dr. Ross' unique understanding of employee engagement allows him to offer practical solutions for increasing both the morale and performance of your teams.
David Salyers
Original Chick-Fil-A Marketing Executive and Chick-Fil-A Pioneer
A friend once told David Salyers to “never speak about something unless you have passion for it!” – and he’s kept that advice to this day, sharing his passion for helping others be remarkable in business.
David Salyers has been on quite a journey. Having graduated from college on a Saturday morning, he started his career with Chick-fil-A before the day was over. Currently serving as the Vice President of National, Regional and Local Marketing for Chick- fil-A, Inc., David has invested his entire career as part of a team, committed to building the kind of company culture that people talk about!
As a passionate student of life and business, he has spent over thirty years seeing the principles in his book play out corporately and in over 1,600 Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country. Serving as a board member for numerous non-profit organizations, and a few for-profit startups, has convinced him further that the principles contained within these pages are universally applicable. Having the unique opportunity to witness both great leaders and great organizations, he is energized to pass along the principles he has discovered from a personal journey, which can only be described as…Remarkable!
Eddie Staub
Founder & Executive Director of Eagle Ranch
Eddie Staub is Founder and Executive Director of Eagle Ranch, a community uniquely designed to help make life better for children and families going through a crisis. For more than 30 years, Eagle Ranch has served as Georgia’s foremost family reunification program.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Eddie graduated with a B.S. in Science Education from Auburn University and was a member of the varsity baseball team. He also has a master’s degree in Physiology from Auburn.
Eddie has participated in Leadership Georgia and has been honored for Eagle Ranch’s contributions to youth and families throughout Georgia. He has appeared on local and national broadcasts, including CNN, and has been the subject of print media outlets including Southern Living and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, among others. He is a regular speaker at civic clubs, churches and community organizations throughout the Southeast.
Eddie is married to the former Kayanne Morris of Atlanta, and they have five children.
Glenn Williams
President of Primerica
Glenn Williams is President of Primerica, the largest financial services marketing organization in North America, with more than 96,000 licensed representatives and nearly 2,000 corporate employees.
Glenn started his career with Primerica in 1981 as a sales representative and joined the company’s Home Office team in 1983. He and his wife, Karen, moved to Canada in 1985 as part of Primerica’s international expansion, where he spent 15 years continually increasing his responsibilities and serving as the President and CEO of Primerica Canada from 1996-2000.
In 2000, he returned to Primerica’s Duluth, Georgia-based headquarters as Executive Vice President of Field and Product Marketing for international operations. In 2005, he was promoted to company President.
A native Georgian, Glenn grew up in the country near Atlanta. He attended Baptist University of America on a football scholarship where he earned a BS in Education in 1981. He currently serves on the Georgia Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees. Glenn and Karen reside in Dacula, where they are active in their local church and school. They have two adult children, Emily and Marshall.