Co-Founders

Friends and neighbors, Debbie Blacher and Samantha Gotlib bonded over their mutual commitment to healthy and organic eating for their young children. They soon realized they also shared a common concern about the state of our children's food supply. At a neighborhood pool party over the Fourth of July, they decided to do something about it. Wholesome Tummies was founded in July, 2007.

Debbie Blacher

Is a wife and mother to two active school-aged boys and a new baby boy. She feels challenged daily to find creative ways that inspire her children to eat their fruits and vegetables. With five years of stay-at-home Mom experience, Debbie learned on the fly that feeding healthy foods to her young children is less of a battle when presented with imagination. To this day, her boys still ask for broccoli as "dinosaur trees" and bananas as "monkey food". When Debbie has free time (not much these days), she loves to paint and write creatively. Despite all this, Debbie has yet to find a clever way to get her boys to eat their brussels sprouts!

Professionally, Debbie has 15 years of human resources experience. Her areas of expertise include recruiting, training, team building, and executive coaching. She graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Psychology and Business, and from Purdue University with an M.S. in Human Resources Management. Prior to founding Wholesome Tummies, Debbie led the Leadership Development practice at an Orlando, Florida consulting firm and before that, she built the human resources infrastructure for an Inc. 500 software company in Fairfax, Virginia.

Samantha Gotlib

Is a serious multi-tasker who dreamed up Wholesome Tummies when she realized how time consuming lunch making was in her own day. She is a mom of four, including a set of twins and 2 toddlers. Personally she is married, an avid cook and cookbook aficionado. In her spare time she watches her pre-recorded shows on the food network and tries to sneak veggies in her kids' diet.

Passionate about small business ownership, she has been an entrepreneur for over 15 years and franchisee twice. Her own franchise experience has been instrumental in launching the Wholesome Tummies Franchise Company. Her background (and passion!) is in marketing and branding with a strong track record of increasing sales and profitability. She earned her B.A. in Liberal Studies and Communications from the University of Central Florida. Prior to founding Wholesome Tummies, Samantha was President of Mad Max Promotions, a national promotional products and marketing agency she founded.

Nutritionist

Sherri Flynt

Is a champion for healthy eating. When working with Central Florida families that are struggling with the challenges of making healthy choices in today's world, Sherri believes that small changes in everyday decisions really do reap big health benefits.

Professionally, Sherri Flynt, MPH, RD, LD, is head of the Center for Nutritional Excellence at Florida Hospital where she has played a pivotal role in developing a pediatric obesity program. Co-author of the book "SuperSized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat", Sherri has over 20 years of experience in nutrition education, public health, and has been certified by the American Dietetic Association in Adult and Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management. Sherri was a key member of the Childhood Obesity Taskforce in Central Florida, and has given hundreds of community and corporate presentations on childhood and adult nutrition.

Public Relations

Sara R. Brady

Leveraging 20 years of experience in communications disciplines ranging from traditional corporate communications to crisis and reputation management, Sara R. Brady established Sara Brady Public Relations, Inc. in January 2010.

The firm provides strategic consulting in issues ranging from reputation and crisis management to media and community relations initiatives to corporate social responsibility counsel. The firm is experienced in traditional media communications planning as well as tactical use of social media including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc.

Brady has spent her career in communications, beginning as a news reporter for the Orlando Sentinel (formerly the Sentinel Star). She later worked in the defense industry and transitioned to public relations agency work, using her journalism and public relations skills and experiences with clients ranging from healthcare organizations, law firms, and ultimately in the cable industry at Bright House Networks where she worked as Vice President of Public Affairs for more than five years. In this role, Brady was responsible for the division's strategic external and internal communications, media relations as well as directing the company's community outreach initiatives and partnerships.

Before going to Bright House, Brady oversaw division operations at Wragg & Casas Public Relations, the state's largest independently owned public relations firm. As Managing Director, Brady was responsible for opening and directing the Miami-based firm's Central Florida Division. In that role, Brady was responsible for business development as well as providing client counsel in strategic and crisis communications along with reputation management.

Brady has been twice named one of Orlando Magazine's Most Powerful People, based on her extensive contacts /relationships and as a confidante and strategic advisor to some of the community's most influential individuals.

Additionally, Brady is the recipient of two prestigious Beacon Awards, the cable industry's highest communications award, as well as two Golden Image Awards from the Central Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) and the statewide chapter.

On-Site School Management Consultant

Kevin Finnegan

Kevin grew up in the restaurant industry, apprenticing with some of the finest chefs in New England and learned his trade well. After ten years of cooking and managing restaurants, Kevin; a skilled Chef Garde Manger, spent a few years teaching at Johnson & Wales University, Division Of Culinary Arts. He is ServSafe certified and registered as an Instructor/Proctor with the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association teaching certificate courses in ServSafe as well as ServSafe Alcohol and HACCP Program implementation.

His skill as a working Chef and his experience as a Chef Instructor at JWU Culinary, coupled with his many years of successful managerial experience give Kevin the unique ability to evaluate dining programs from the culinary aspect as well as from a business vantage point. He has worked with over 60 independent schools and on the campuses of over two dozen colleges and universities. Kevin founded CMS to fulfill a life- long dream to teach full time and share 30 years of success stories in school dining services management. Kevin also spent 6 years as COO and Senior Vice President working for the Leatherneck Venture Capital Group, improving operations and building profits for two non-food service industry leaders. Both opportunities were ultimately very successful turn-around enterprises.

Professional Experience
Culinary Management Solutions, LLC
President

Compass Group USA (5 yrs.)
District General Manager

SAGE Dining Services (10 yrs.)
Director of Business Development
Regional Vice President
Regional Manager

The Seiler Corporation / Sodexo USA (13 yrs.) District Manager
Director of Dining Services, The Johns Hopkins University
Director of Dining Services, Stonehill College
Food Service Director, Dean College / Food Service Manager, Deerfield Academy
Food Service Manager, Eagle Tower Residential Hotel

Professional Affiliations
American Culinary Federation
United Food Safety Professionals
National Restaurant Association
Sustainable Food Network
Hospitality Educational Foundation of Georgia