
Recipients are Franchise Business Owners Who Empower and Serve Others
The International Franchise Association has selected 97 individuals to receive its Franchisee of the Year Award. These awards recognize outstanding owner-operators from diverse industries and communities around the United States and beyond. The honors were bestowed during the 2023 Annual IFA Convention in Las Vegas.
Matthew Haller, the IFA’s president and CEO, praised the recipients as representing “the best in franchising.” Haller added that “this is the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and these local business owners exemplify the power of franchising and its countless positive contributions to communities around the world.”
Sponsored by IFA’s partner Paychex, each award goes to franchise owners from the association’s member brands. All of the award recipients were nominated by their parent companies. Criteria for nomination include the franchisees’ serving their home communities, nurturing and empowering their workforces in ways that include career growth potential, and supporting their fellow franchisees.

Among the many winners, franchisees Carl Williams, Russell Thomas, and Mark McCain were the first to receive the honor for fitness brand Athletic Republic. “These three gentlemen embody everything that Athletic Republic stands for and our commitment to providing world-class training to youth athletes and are changing lives,” said Charlie Graves, CEO of Athletic Republic.
IFA Franchisees of the Year
Here a full list of the IFA Franchisee of the Year Awards:
- Aaron Hagan: Mister Sparky Mid-America, multiple states
- Adam Wyatt: Wing Zone of Louisville, Ky.
- Ashraf Bailey: GNC, Florida
- Bill Snow: Rad Air of Wickliffe, Ohio
- Bill Weber: The Patch Boys of DuPage and Will Counties, Illinois

- Bindu Agarwal: Homewatch Caregivers of Lower Bucks County, Pa.

- Brandie Chapman: B’s Wax & B’s Blow Dry

- Brandon and Kenadee Gadish: Altitude Trampoline Park, Washington
- Brandon Breath: The Entrepreneur’s Source, Louisiana
- Brenda Torres: 2 Adept Ventures, California
- Brent Berridge: Pool Scouts of Sugar Land, Texas
- Brian Whalen: Perspire Sauna Studio, Eagle, Idaho
- Bryan Smith: US Lawns of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
- Bryant Greene: Always Best Care of Philly and Delaware
- Carl Williams, Russell Thomas, Mark McCain: Athletic Republic Capitol Region, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia
- Cheri Reid: Huntington Learning Center, Illinois
- Chris Hollyman, Steve Harbour, David Hughes: Grand Welcome of the Ozarks, Missouri
- Chris Holmes: USA Insulation of Michigan
- Chris Tisdale: Sir Grout Nashville
- Chris, Jen, Alyssa and Mackenzie Lanagan: The Cleaning Authority Cedarburg Madison Kenosha, Wis.
- Craig Randall: FirstLight Home Care of The Grand Strand / Charleston / Beaufort / Greenville, S.C.
- Danny Figueroa: The NOW Massage, Florida
- Dato’ Jaya J B Tan: Envictus International Holdings Ltd.
- Dina Jenney: A Place At Home, Philadelphia West
- Don Elliott: Monster Tree Service of Knoxville, Tenn.
- Eric Lazar: SpeedPro Chicago Loop
- Gary L. Robins, GC Robins: of Supercuts & Ideal Image; multiple northeastern states
- Greg Goodman: Turbo Tint of Oklahoma City
- Greg Parsons: Grease Monkey, Texas
- Harry & Dalton Dodich: Eastern Shore Coffee LLC dba PJs Coffee, New Orleans
- Hazael Pareja: Doody Calls, San Antonio
- Stephanie Lopez: Sola Salon, Maryland
- Helen Martin: Stretch Zone, Florida

- Jack Brendamour & Judy McCreary: Junk King Cincinnati, Dayton & Louisville
- Jake Atchoo: Goldfish Swim School, Rockville, Gaithersburg & Centereach, Md.
- Jason & Alyssa Bowman: Genesail Inc. dba Sport Clips Haircuts, Idaho
- Jason Newquist: Cruise One, Florida

- Jim Sheahan: Jimmy Cakes LLC – Nothing Bundt Cakes, Texas and Oklahoma

- Joe Picciallo: Green Home Solutions of Greater Morris County, N.J.
- John Hamilton Culpepper: Express Employment Professionals, Georgia
- Jordan Clancy: Clean Acres Inc. dba ManageMowed
- Joseph Johnson: Disrupt Foods/E&R Foods LLC, Northeast
- Joshua Douglas Grinstead: GYMGUYZ of Hudson/Bergen/Rockland, New York City metro area

- Justin Scotto: We Sell Restaurants Charlotte, N.C.
- Justin Sherman: Donatos Pizza, Florida
- Kal Gullapalli: MPZ Holdings LLC, Tampa
- Kate and Brian Mulcahy: Family Foundations LLC dba Celebree School of Tysons-Jones Branch; Virginia
- Kathryn & Joseph Pizzurro: Scenthound Gainesville/Ocala, Fla.
- Ken Giusti: SpeeDee Oil Change & Auto Service, California
- Kevin Green: Genghis Grill of Reno, Nev.
- Kevin Krull: 1-800 WATER DAMAGE of Washtenaw Co. & Taylor, Mich.
- Kimberly Kick: The Goddard School of Orange, Conn.
- Kristen Williams-Haseotes: Bad Ass Naples LLC, Florida
- Kristin Humphrey: Home Clean Heroes of West Houston
- Larry & Brandon Greene: Dogtopia of Denver Tech Center
- Leonard Siers: Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Florida and Alabama
- Lorena Medina: BNI Mexico
- Louis Malooley: Alphagraphics of Buckhead, Georgia

- LuAnn Martinson: Owl Be There, Charlotte
- Maaza Henry: Sandhills Hospitality LLC, Charlotte
- Mark and Bobbi Howard: Poolwerx Union Hills, Phoenix
- Mark Schostak: TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants, Michigan
- Matias Puga H.: School of Rock Latin America

- Matt Perry & Tracy Gilligan: Infinity Companies of NH/MA

- Matthew Sutton Davis: The Davis Restaurant Group Inc., North Carolina
- Miguel Macias: America’s Swimming Pool Co. of Reno
- Mike Meilleur: Sola Salons, Columbus, Ohio, & Buffalo, N.Y.
- Misty Hudson Whitehead: Chicken Salad Chick, Alabama
- Nicholas Brand: Men In Kilts Vancouver, British Columbia

- Noah Stone and Vy Tran: The Joint Chiropractic, Texas
- Nora Farhat: British Swim School, Detroit metro area
- Pete & Barbra Muller: Tint World Orlando

- Priya Dave & Ash Agarwal: Ivybrook Academy of Hendersonville, Tenn.
- Ray Wells: HOODZ of Atlanta
- Raymond & Andrew Howell: Tropical Smoothie Café, Florida
- Reena Patel: The Lash Lounge Dr. Phillips, Lake Mary, Winter Park & Winter Garden, Florida

- Richie Drew: One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning of Myrtle Beach
- Scarlett and Jason Dalton: Camp Bow Wow, New Orleans

- Scott Hart: Z PLUMBERZ of Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Shafiq Mohamed: Stratus Building Solutions of Hamilton, Ontario
- Stephanie Zhang & David Galkin: Redbox+ Dumpsters of Lehigh Valley, Pa.

- Stephen and Mary Butterfield and Danielle Withycombe: Hydrate IV Bar of Arizona
- Steve & Diane Geddes: Fibrenew Kelowna in British Columbia

- Steven Leibsohn: Wetzel’s Pretzels Arizona
- Susanna Woods and Bo Henderson: California Closets of South West Florida
- Tammy Feaster: Spherion, Maryland
- Terri Smith: Woodhouse Spa, Indiana
- Thomas and Carrie Powers: Any Lab Test Now, Tulsa, Okla., area

- Tom & Debi Taube: Kitchen Tune-Up, Charlotte
- Tom & Maryellen Heinemann: Mosquito Squad of North Jersey
- Tom and Micah Nisley: i9 Sports, Texas
- Toni Parkhurst: Budget Blinds of Fairfield/Vacaville, Calif.
- Toya Evans: Healthy Living Ventures, Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area
- Tyler Fuss: LIME Painting of Northern Colorado
- Victoria Alvarez and Raul Munoz: Wings and Rings, Texas
- Vijay & Deepika Ilavarasan: Kiddie Academy of Vancouver–Fisher’s Landing, Wash., and Tigard, Ore.

- Wes Snyder and Jeff Parsons: FASTSIGNS of Raleigh, N.C.; Austin, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; Fort Myers, Fla.; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Charleston, S.C.
- Zane Glover: Payroll Vault, Colorado