Our Family

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Fred Goldsmith is the Founder of Pet Paradise Resort. He led an investor team to purchase Pet Paradise Resort in 2002 and was the CEO and driving force behind the growth of the company. After Crane Group purchased a majority interest in Pet Paradise in June 2016, Fred transitioned to a Founder role. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Fred received a B.S. in marketing from the University of Miami. He resides in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida and is married with four grown children.

Fernando's involvement with Pet Paradise began in 2004 when he led an investment group to invest in the company. He subsequently joined the Board of Directors in 2005 and helped refine the company's growth strategy by focusing on new development and acquisitions. In 2007, he joined the team as Chief Operating Officer. Since joining the company in 2005, Fernando has played a key role in accelerating the growth of Pet Paradise from three pet resorts with 45 employees in northeast Florida to more than 1000 employees across nine states and 40+ resorts in operation or under development.

Prior to joining Pet Paradise, Fernando spent seven years in Private Equity working with FondElec Group and L&L Capital Partners, two Connecticut based Private Equity firms. Prior to his work in private equity, he worked for BellSouth International in Atlanta where he focused on BellSouth’s operations in Central and South America. Prior to BellSouth, Fernando ran several family-owned businesses in Costa Rica.

Fernando serves on several Boards including Community Hospice of Northeast Florida (one of Florida’s largest Hospice organization) of which he serves as chairman. He is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Bolles School, a private college preparatory school in Jacksonville, Florida. Fernando serves on the Board of Advisors at Jacksonville University’s Public Policy Institute and is the President of The Acosta-Rua Family Foundation, a family foundation serving the sick and poor primarily in developing countries.

Fernando received his Bachelor of Science from University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications and his MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Kevin English was born in Pensacola and grew up in the small town of Gulf Breeze in the Florida panhandle. After graduating from Gulf Breeze High School in 1987, Kevin attended the University of Florida, where he received a B.S. in Accounting. In the fall of 1992, Kevin moved to Jacksonville, Florida and started his professional career with Deloitte and Touche LLP as a Certified Public Accountant. After four years with Deloitte and Touche, Kevin joined PSS World Medical, Inc. During his 17 years with PSS World Medical, Kevin held several senior management positions, including his last position on the executive management team as the Chief Sourcing Officer. Following his departure from PSS, Kevin joined One Call Care Management as its Chief Financial Officer.

Kevin has been involved with several community and charitable organizations in Northeast Florida, including The Players Championship. Kevin has volunteered with The Players Championship PGA Tour golf event for eight years. His current role is first vice chairman and Kevin is in line to become the tournament Chairman in 2017.

Kevin and his wife, Debbie, live in Ponte Vedra and have three children – Morgan, Brooke and JP.

Bill Joel is the General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Pet Paradise.  Bill joined the Company in April of 2008, after representing the Company for several years as an attorney in private practice.  Bill's responsibilities include helping the Company comply with the many laws and regulations that affect the Company, as well as helping oversee the selection, development and construction of new facility locations.  Bill and his wife, Kim, are residents of Jacksonville and have two sons, Lionel and Spencer.

Dr. Jaime Pickett joined Pet Paradise in 2017 as Chief Veterinary Officer to work with a strong team that is similarly committed to establishing pet wellness as a priority. She completed her pre-medical studies at the Johns Hopkins University and earned a doctoral degree at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.  She also holds a Masters of Business Administration and currently serves on The University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine’s Admissions Committee.

An entrepreneur at heart, Dr. Pickett has owned and operated several successful veterinary hospitals and franchises. She is committed to providing quality and innovative health care for pets in a convenient environment for busy pet parents.

When Dr. Pickett is not taking care of pets, she enjoys traveling with her family, flying, and continuing her lifelong love of sports through weight training and running with her dog, Jack.

Lisa Tarr is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Pet Paradise Resort. She leads the company’s marketing, advertising and brand development efforts, including digital, brand marketing, social responsibility and customer relationship strategies.

Prior to joining Pet Paradise in 2009, Lisa was the Public Relations Director at the Houston Humane Society. During her time at the Houston Humane Society, Lisa led the marketing and communication efforts around fundraising, brand awareness and communications. Lisa spent over 5 years building and shaping brands for non-profit organizations, including managing several accounts as an Account Executive at Elmore Public Relations, one of Houston’s top PR firms.

In 2018, Lisa was named one of Jacksonville Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40 business professionals for her accomplishments. This award is given to Jacksonville leaders who continue to shape the local business community and the holistic improvement of life in the North Florida region. Lisa recently completed the Chief Marketing Officer Program at Kellogg Executive Education where 30 of the top marketing brand leaders are chosen to participate.

Lisa graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications and a minor in Business Administration from St. Edward's University in Austin, TX. Lisa and her husband, Jeff, are residents of Saint Augustine Beach and have two children Liam and June.  Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family gardening, relaxing at the beach and recharging weekly in the local Hot Yoga Studio.

Brian Franco has over 27 years of experience in the A/E/C industry and will apply his experience in leading PP’s new real estate development efforts and overseeing existing resort improvements and maintenance. Over his career, Brian has worked with a wide range of clients serving their design and construction needs in a wide range of roles including project management, project and business development and marketing services. Brian graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Vocational Education and from University of North Florida with a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management. Brian is past chairman of the 2015 PLAYERS Championship and has served on other non-profit boards including Ronald McDonald House, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Northeast Florida, Boys & Girls Club and Community Connections (presently).

Dina's previous background has been in Business and Inventory Management. She has been with the Pet Paradise team since 2009 and is currently the Director of Operations over Charlotte, NC, Houston, TX, and Central Florida. She enjoys building teamwork among associates. She appreciates all her associates and consistently thanks them for their hard work and dedication. She jumps in to assist with any duty in order to accomplish necessary tasks.  Dina's family includes her husband, Scott, and her Labradoodle, Casey and Havanese, Maya.

Joined Pet Paradise in 2013, but has been associated since 2005 as superintendent on the build of 9 of the resorts. Received a BA in Architectural engineering in 1992 and Florida State building contractor in 2000. Lenny and his wife Christin have two children, Maggie and Ethan and a King Charles Spaniel Arthur.

Will Inman joined Pet Paradise in 2018 as Senior Construction Manager and he provides oversight on the design and construction of new development, renovations and maintenance projects. Will brings over 13 years of commercial AEC experience having worked with an industry leading national design-build firm. Will attended the Bolles School in Jacksonville and graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Construction Management. A native of Jacksonville, Will is actively engaged with the Rotary Club of Jacksonville and The Boy Scouts of America. Will and his wife, Kristen, enjoy boating, fishing and travelling. They have one son, Pierce, and two happy dogs - a black lab named Mally and a doberman pinscher named Pailan.

Jennifer Henderson joined the Pet Paradise team in 2014, after 15 years in the banking industry. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, two Dobermans, Donovan the cat and her two goldfish. On the weekends you can find Jennifer enjoying a ride on her motorcycle.

Adam Stiles joined the Pet Paradise team in 2017 as the Controller. Adam is a CPA and has held various accounting and finance positions throughout his 15 year career. After growing up on a dairy farm in the Shenandoah Valley outside of Washington, DC, he attended the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida, where he received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting.

Adam moved to Jacksonville, Florida in 2004 to further his professional career with KPMG as an auditor. After three years with KPMG, he took on a finance role with One Call Care Management. During his 9 years with One Call Care Management, he held multiple positions within finance including his last position as Treasurer.

Adam and his wife, Melissa, live in St. Johns, Florida and have three children – Ali, Luke and Leighton.

Originally from the Tampa, FL., area, Caitlin received a degree in marketing and a Master of Accountancy from the University of North Florida. She has previous experience working in public accounting and has earned her CPA license. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys spending time with her husband, teaching and practicing yoga, as well as traveling. Caitlin is also the proud pet parent of a rescue retriever mix named Trevi.

Sarah Estep joined the Pet Paradise team in 2018, after moving to Jacksonville from South Carolina.  She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Northwood University in Midland, Michigan.  Outside of work, Sarah loves traveling and spending time with her husband, Jason. She is also a proud fur mom to two cats, Zeda and Paisley, and a German Shepherd, Hazel.

Rosie's lifelong passion for pets led her to Pet Paradise in 2010 after graduating with an Animal Science degree from the University of Florida. She worked to develop her team and became very involved in the Gainesville community, then received Manager of the Year awards in 2011 & 2012. Rosie was promoted to Regional Manager in 2013, Senior Regional Manager in 2015, then Director of Operations in 2017. Over the years, she served Resorts in North Florida, South Florida, Louisiana, North Texas, New Mexico, & Arizona. Rosie transitioned to Director of Training & Development in 2018.

Outside of work, Rosie enjoys riding her two rescue horses Colonel & Zipporah, exploring outdoors with her German Shepherd/wolf mix Luna, fishing or paddling with her husband, Mike, and reading with her two cats Monster and Penelope.

Melody is a native New Mexican and has lived there most of her life. She graduated with honors from CNM Community College, receiving an Associates of Arts and Science. She has 18 years of experience as a warehouse manager for a Ford dealership. It was there that she learned the importance of the Human Resources department and how they can assist employees. Upon leaving the warehousing field, she began working towards a career in HR because she felt her best helping others, helping them solve their problems and helping them grow.

In 2015, Pet Paradise acquired Enchanted Pet Resort, helping Melody find her home in her Pet Paradise family. She received her SHRM-CP in January of 2018 to further her knowledge of the ever changing world of HR. In her spare time, you can find her with her Boxer/Pit mix, Gracie, playing fetch, caring for her rescue box turtle, or baking some new treats in the kitchen.

Carly is originally from South Florida. She went to the University of Florida, and enjoys going back for football/basketball games. Outside of work, Carly likes to spend time at the beach with family or playing with her Catahoula leopard mix at dog parks. Eventually, she hopes to have a “wolf pack” of dogs. Previously, Carly worked for Target in human resources and operations. She is extremely passionate about recruiting, finding the right talent, and helping those in their careers.

Amanda Biss has been with Pet Paradise since June 2002. She began her journey with the company at our St. Augustine location. From there she became the assistant manager at our Ormond Beach location from February 2006 to March of 2008. She was promoted to resort manager of St. Augustine in March 2008, and later became manager in Gainesville and then Ormond Beach. In July 2016, Amanda was promoted to regional manager of Pet Paradise Ormond Beach, Orlando, Palm Coast, Sanford and St. Augustine. In April 2019, Amanda transitioned to the new Grooming Recruitment  Manager.

Alison is native Floridian who loves her home state. She graduated from the University of North Florida with a bachelors in sociology with a focus in social welfare and a minor in psychology. Previously, she worked at Academy Sports + Outdoors for nine years where she rose to the management team gaining experience in recruiting and team member development. She has an adopted cat named Mowgli, three rabbits, and six chickens (Goldie, Stormcloud, Pidgie, Penny, and The Silvers). She enjoys spending time outdoors, whether traveling, gardening, or with her menagerie of animals.

Stephanie is a Jacksonvile native and received her associate degree in marketing at the Florida State College of Jacksonville.  For 10 years, Stephanie was a Merchant Marine.  She is very active in Jacksonville community events and enjoys listening to live music.  In her free time, Stephanie loves spending time with her family and friends, including her two children, Peyton and Maxwell.

Joy joined Pet Paradise in March 2019 after working in commercial real estate development as a Paralegal with international law firms, timber companies and real estate developers. In these roles, she focused on development, acquisitions, dispositions, corporate formation, title insurance and due diligence review.  She is currently a licensed real estate associate and was previously a licensed title insurance agent and Florida Registered Paralegal with the Florida Bar. The rest of her free time is spent kissing her horses, feeling the breeze on her motorcycle and sharing her life with two beagles, Sophie and Lucy, and one Boston Terrier, Joey.

Jennifer joined the Pet Paradise team as Creative Director in September of 2019. Before that she was a Creative Director at 22squared in Tampa, FL where she focused on storytelling in social, digital and broadcast. She lead creative efforts on Shoe Carnival, AdventHealth, OGX and Publix. Prior to 22squared, Jennifer started her career as an art director at Slingshot in Dallas, TX where she created digital campaigns for Jack Daniels, as well as numerous beverages within the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. She continued her journey through the beverage world while working at TribalDDB where she focused on engaging new audiences in the social space for Mountain Dew, AMP and Pepsi. After Tribal, she lead teams in developing powerful purpose driven social campaigns for Secret deodorant, P&G beauty, RadioShack and Burt’s Bees.  Jennifer enjoys inspiring others. Whether she’s creating something special or connecting with someone personally, her goal is to make someone think, solve or smile.

Jennifer grew up right here in Jacksonville Beach, but has been away for over 20 years. She recently moved back so her 1.5 yr old son, Walker could spend more time with his grandparents. In her free time Jennifer loves spending time at the beach with her son and husband Steve. She also loves live music and being outside in the sunshine. 

Andrea first joined the Pet Paradise team in July 2013 as a reservations agent before advancing to public relations and events coordinator in 2014. In January 2018, she was promoted to senior marketing manager. She received a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL.  In her free time, Andrea enjoys traveling, cruising, gardening and spending time with her family. She is also the proud pet parent of two rescued black labs, Zeppelin and Zealynn, and rescued cat, Zooey.

Sarrah joined the Pet Paradise team in February 2018 as the Digital Advertising Manager. Her previous experiences include content creation, multi-channel marketing, and working at Google. Sarrah has a natural aptitude for all things digital and tech. Her knowledge in digital and a keen eye for driving sales and managing customer journey's peeked her interest in joining the Pet Paradise team. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration at Florida A&M University. In her free time, she loves to travel and aspires to visit 30 countries and all 7 continents before she turns 30 years old.

Brenda Williams joined the Pet Paradise team in 2018 as the Customer Experience Manager.  She brings to the team over 20 years of marketing experience with a focus on the hospitality industry.  Her strengths include strategic thinking, team leadership and revenue management.  Prior to Pet Paradise, Brenda spent the last 7 years as an Account Executive for Vizergy, a digital marketing agency in Jacksonville, FL.  She was a key player on the Enterprise team, specializing in relationships with largescale, nationwide brands.  Early in her career, Brenda was a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines.  It was in this role that she learned her passion for customer satisfaction and her knack for complaint resolution. Brenda earned her degree in Marketing at Lone Star College.  She has completed her Certified Hospitality Digital Marketing (CHDM) certificate as well as earning a Hospitality Marketing Certificate from The Hotel School at Cornell Univeristy. Originally from Houston, Texas, Brenda relocated to Florida in 2010.  In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading and spending time with her husband, Brian, and 2 boxers, Jaxon and Roxie. But don’t be fooled, she won’t hesitate to jump from a perfectly good plane or zipline across a ravine!

Lauren Hall joined the Pet Paradise team in May 2019 as the Digital Advertising Manager. Lauren was born and raised in Orlando, FL, where she attended the University of Central Florida. She received a bachelor of arts degree in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in Digital Media. Her experience includes the fulfillment, optimization and reporting of omni-channel digital advertising campaigns for local clients such as VyStar, Farah & Farah and UF Health.

In her free time, Lauren enjoys exploring Jacksonville, decorating, eating yummy food, and spending time with her husband and fur babies. She is the pet parent of Penny the Goldendoodle, and cats Panda and Simba.

Andi joined the Pet Paradise team in November 2019 as the Social Media and Insights Manager. She has 5 years of experience in market research and customer insights in both the grocery and tourism industries.  She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelors in Food and Resource Economics in 2014 and then from the University of South Florida with a masters in Economics in 2016. Her love for animals, customer research, and social media marketing made Pet Paradise the perfect fit for her. In her free time she enjoys trail rides with her horse Sunshine, reading, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. She is also the proud pet parent of her corgi, Shorti and her cat, Nash.

Zach is originally from the Raleigh, NC area and worked the last four years as a District Manager for Aldi USA in the Charlotte, NC market. Zach graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Business Administration, majoring in both International Business and Corporate Finance. He has a passion for leading people and utilizing business analytics to craft high performance teams, all while maintaining a positive and encouraging work environment. Zach currently resides in Charlotte NC with his wife Jovanna and their Cavalier King Charles puppy, Theo. He spends most of his free time loving on Theo, but also enjoys traveling, playing both hockey and basketball, and singing. Zach is extremely excited for this new opportunity with Pet Paradise and so thankful he gets to use his experience to continue to grow a wonderful company.

Caitlin joined the Pet Paradise team in 2011 at our Gainesville location, where she advanced to assistant manager and then manager. In February 2015, Caitlin relocated to Jacksonville as the new manager of Pet Paradise Jacksonville Airport. She makes it a priority to ensure that each guest and customer feels at ease when leaving their fur babies. Caitlin's love for animals and animal care is what led her to seek a career at Pet Paradise.  In July 2015, Caitlin was promoted to regional manager of Pet Paradise Atlanta Airport, Woodstock, Jacksonville University, Jacksonville Airport and Tallahassee. She has 3 dogs, a boxer mix named Shea, a Great Dane named Bentlee and a Boston Terrior mix named Sally.

Robin Hauptman joined the Pet Paradise team in 2010. She was drawn to the idea of working with this company as she had been rescuing and fostering countless animals for several years and was looking for the chance to combine her passion for animals with a career opportunity. She began at the St Augustine, FL., resort and quickly worked her way up to being promoted to their kennel supervisor. In an effort to grow with the company, Robin moved to Houston, TX., and joined the manager in training program. In November 2013, she was promoted to the resort manager at the Houston Hobby location. Robin considers herself so fortunate to have this career of her dreams and is excited for her new role as Regional Manager of Pet Paradise Houston Hobby, Houston JFK, Houston Will Clayton and Phoenix.

Rachael joined the Pet Paradise team in January 2015.  She started the company as the Resort manager of Plano Custer.  In June 2017, she was promoted to the Dallas area Regional Manager.  As of May 2018, she made the move to Florida to cover the South West coast of Florida.  She has a Hospitality Management degree and has worked for both Disney and the Ritz Carlton.  Pet Paradise and their luxury service allowed her to combine her two passions Hospitality and Pets.  Pet Paradise is her dream job. Rachael now lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with her 3 dogs Tallulah Jane a Sharpei Pit mix, Magnolia Lynn a mini White Boxer, Vidalia Grace a deaf White Boxer and Monster the street cat.

Martin joined Pet Paradise in September of 2017 as a Resort Manager in Rio Rancho and then advanced to Regional Manager over the Plano Custer, Plano Premier, Las Colinas and Phoenix resorts. Originally born and raised in Canada (eh!), he has been a US citizen since 2003 spending most of that time in the Kansas City area of the Midwest. His first career was in Law Enforcement, but Martin brings 15 years of management experience in retail and hospitality to Pet Paradise. Martin and his family moved to New Mexico in 2016. Being a dog and cat lover his entire life, Martin will tell you his pride and joy are all 5 of his "kids" that include 3 children and 2 dogs. His current dogs are a cross bred Saint Bernard/Great Pyrenees mix and a rescue husky mix. He also has 6 chickens and a parakeet as well as part of their home. In his spare time, his hobbies include hiking the mountains of New Mexico and building projects that revolve around the use of pallet and reclaimed wood.

Jennifer Doyle joined Pet Paradise Family January 2016 working as a resort associate at the Ormond Beach location. There she quickly developed a passion working with animals and knew Pet Paradise was where she wanted to continue that passion. Since then, she has helped manage the Sanford location as the assistant manager, then advanced to the Palm Coast and Ormond beach location as the Resort Manager. Jennifer is always ready with a smile and a helping hand, leading her to advance even further, becoming a Regional Manager over the Ormond Beach, St. Augustine, Orlando, Palm Coast and Sanford locations. Her hard work, dedication, and willingness to help our guest and staff makes her a valued member of the Pet Paradise team.  Jennifer is a loving mother to a Goldendoodle and two Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers named Bella, Sassy Girl, and Angel Grace.

Jessica Ammann joined the Pet Paradise team in 2001. From the beginning Jessica was an integral part of the Pet Paradise growth, having managed and opened many of them. With over 15 years of experience with Pet Paradise ranging from Resort Manager and Regional Manager, she brings the knowledge and expertise into her new job role as Training and Development Manager. When she is not at work, she enjoys crafting, scrapbooking, fishing, staying up to date with her favorite bands and spending time with her 3 pups: Jada, Zada, and Shima.

Originally from Louisville, KY, Deborah moved to Central Florida to attend the University of Central Florida and then completed her education at the University of North Florida, where  she majored in history with a double minor in psychology and philosophy. For 15 years, Deborah was proud to volunteer with the Clan Campbell Scottish Society of North America where she could promote her Scottish heritage and genealogy research.  Deborah brings with her previous manager experience from SafeTouch Security in quality training and outstanding customer service.  In her free time, Deborah enjoys spending time with her significant other, Stan, and three children: Colin, Keira and Cody.

Tanny Crane, President and CEO of Crane Group, joined the family business in 1987 and was named to her current role in 2003. As President and CEO, she provides the company with overall strategic direction and leadership development.

Upon joining Crane Plastics in 1987, Tanny became the Director of Personnel. In 1992, she became the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and in 1996, she was named President of Crane Plastics. Prior to joining Crane Plastics, Tanny worked for five years in product management at Quaker Oats in Chicago, with her final position as Product Manager of Cap’n Crunch Cereals. Prior to Quaker Oats, Tanny worked as National Sales Manager for AT&T in Chicago.

Tanny serves on several boards including Huntington Bancshares, Inc., Columbus Partnership, Fisher College of Business Advisory Board, Ohio Business Roundtable, The Ohio State University Foundation, and OhioHealth. Additionally, she serves as Board Chair for I Know I Can, the Reeb Avenue Center, and the Early Childhood Education Council of Future Ready Columbus. Tanny has previously served as Board Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and as Board and Campaign Chair of United Way of Central Ohio and Action for Children.

Tanny received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Finance from The Ohio State University, and earned her Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.

Mike Crane joined Crane Group in 1989 as general counsel and was named to his current role in 2007. As President, Mike manages Crane Group’s operating business units.

Previously, Mike served as President of Crane Performance Siding. Prior to joining Crane, he practiced corporate law in Columbus with the law firms of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur and Schottenstein, Zox and Dunn (now Ice Miller).

Mike is an active corporate volunteer, currently serving on the board of directors of White Castle System, Inc., and on the Campaign Leadership Committee for Franklin Park Conservatory. He previously served on the boards of the Columbus Academy, Capital University, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, and the US Bank Advisory Board (Columbus), and is a past board President of The Buckeye Ranch.

Mike received his Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard College, and his Juris Doctor from the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University.

Andy Hackett joined Crane Group in 2002 and has been President of Crane Investment Company since 2014. He and his team are responsible for managing all of the Crane Group private equity, real estate, and marketable securities assets. In addition, Andy and his team are responsible for sourcing new platform businesses for Crane Group.

From 1995 to 1998, Andy worked for the law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, where he concentrated on the acquisitions of public and private companies and securities law matters. Immediately prior to joining Crane Group, he worked for the Business Affairs and Corporate Development Group at America Online Inc., where he worked on a variety of acquisition, joint venture, licensing, and interactive marketing deals.

Andy currently serves on the board of directors of Sensit Technologies and Salon Lofts. He is also on the advisory board for Clearview Capital (Fund II and Fund III) and Rockbridge Capital (Fund IV and Fund VI). Additionally, he serves on the board of directors for the Columbus State Foundation.

Andy received his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Notre Dame, and his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School.

Chad Utrup joined Crane in 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and is responsible for overseeing the finance, treasury, accounting, tax, and information technology services of Crane Group.

Chad has more than 18 years of experience in various financial management and leadership roles, and has deep knowledge in the areas of investor relations, information technology, human resources, and operations. Prior to joining Crane Group, Chad worked at Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) from 1998 to 2013, and served as Chief Financial Officer beginning in 2003. While at CVG, Chad helped lead the company’s initial public offering and participated in the negotiation, due diligence, financing, or integration of all of their acquisitions and joint ventures. Before CVG, he worked in various financial roles at Electronic Data Systems.

Chad currently serves on the boards of Screen Machine Industries and Contractors Incorporated, and previously served on the board of Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. and as its Audit Committee Chairman from 2010 to 2015. In 2011, he was selected as “CFO of the Year” by Business First in the “Corporate” category and was also the recipient of the Business First “Transaction of the Year” award in 2011 for his accomplishments in financial restructuring following the economic recession.

Chad received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Gary Chartrand, Executive Chairman of Acosta Sales and Marketing, joined Acosta in 1983 as a Business Manager and subsequently was promoted to Vice President, Regional Vice President of Florida, President, and in 1996, President/Chief Executive Officer. Acosta Sales and Marketing Company, Inc., based in Jacksonville, FL with more than 17,000 employees company wide, is one of North America's largest sales and marketing agencies serving the $700 billion supermarket industry. Gary is a winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award, and was named to the Supermarket News Power 50 list from 2003 to 2009. He is responsible for quadrupling the company's geographic coverage, transforming Acosta into a leading full-service sales and marketing company in the U.S. and Canada.  Gary is the author of the recently released management book, Unreasonable Leadership.