The Parquet Group

Our Partners

     
Rick Van Warner has more than 25 years of service industry experience as a consultant, corporate executive, and communications professional. He has helped various senior leadership teams develop strategies to effectively manage, communicate and enhance performance during challenging periods of change or crisis.
     Before founding Parquet Public Affairs parent The Parquet Group, Van Warner served as a senior executive and officer at Darden Restaurants Inc., today the world’s largest casual dining company with more than 1,300 Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, and Seasons 52 restaurants. His responsiblities included overseeing all external and internal communications for the $5 billion public company, including strategic employee communications, crisis management and corporate media relations. He also played a key role in several corporate culture initiatives, including helping Darden solidify its reputation as a stand-alone company following its spin-off from General Mills.
     Before joining Darden Van Warner was Editor-In-Chief and Associate Publisher of Nation's Restaurant News. During more than a decade with NRN, he was instrumental in its turnaround and growth to become the dominant market leader in the hospitality publishing business. He also served as Program Chairman for the annual Multi-Unit Food Service Operators (MUFSO) conference, the largest executive conference for senior foodservice industry executives, and co-founded NRN Online, NRN Daily NewsFax and Hot Concepts!,  a national awards program for emerging restaurant chain.
     Van Warner began his career as a daily newspaper reporter, covering national and local politics among other subjects. He also has previous experience as a social worker counseling troubled youth. A graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Van Warner serves on the board of directors of Tijuana Flats Burrito Co., the advisory board at the University of Delaware’s Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Management School and is a past board member of several national industry organizations.

    
Joe Kefauver has more than two decades of political experience in corporate issue management, government affairs, campaign management, trade association relations and advocacy. He has comprehensive experience in all facets of public affairs at the federal, state and local levels. Helping Parquet clients identify and address the critical external changes facing their organizations, he provides innovative solutions that impact both short and long-term results.
     Previously, Kefauver was Vice President of Public Affairs for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. where he oversaw all state and local government matters for the world’s largest corporation. He was responsible for prioritizing and developing the company’s legislative and political agenda, its interaction with Governors, Attorneys General, Mayors and legislative leaders, as well as executing the company’s aggressive store expansion program. Managing a team of 50 professionals, Kefauver also played a leadership role in many of the company’s major strategic initiatives such as environmental sustainability and expansion of healthcare programs.
     Kefauver previously served as the Director of Government Affairs for Orlando-based Darden Restaurants, Inc. At Darden he oversaw the company’s federal and state government relations programs as well as their political involvement including managing their Political Action Committee.Kefauver is an alumnus of the University of Maryland and received his graduate degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. 

    
Franklin Coley is an experienced political strategist and business development professional who leads Parquet Development. Combining his extensive political experience with his sales and marketing skills, he helps Parquet clients grow their businesses through sound relationship management and strategic planning.
     Coley, who also supports Parquet Public Affairs clients, has deep experience in grassroots/tops organizing, campaign execution and issue advocacy at the local, state and federal levels. He worked in several capacities for President George W. Bush, serving as a Presidential Appointee in the press office of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and organizing the President's reelection efforts in North Carolina and Florida. Following the 2004 election cycle, Coley served as Executive Director of the Broward County (FL) Republican Party. He later joined U.S. Senator Mel Martinez's staff and served as Regional Director to Southeast Florida. Coley left the Senator's office to join the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Campaign as Coalitions Director for the State of Florida, where he built a statewide organization of more than 3,000 coalition leaders.
     Before joining Parquet Coley served as Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Development for Berman Property Maintenance and Construction. A University of North Carolina graduate with a degree in political science, he serves as Vice President for the Central Florida Rotary Alliance. He also serves on the Champions of Choice board and is actively involved with Ducks Unlimited and the Coastal Conservation Association.
 

     Peter Romeo is recognized as one of the hospitality industry's best-known social media experts and bloggers and spent most of his career as an award-winning journalist. At Parquet Public Affairs, Romeohelps clients manage their social media and communications strategies while serving as the firm's director of news and information.
     Romeo previously served as Executive Editor of Nation's Restaurant News Online, with responsibility for content of the weekly newspapers website and e-newsletters.
A 30-year veteran of service industry journalism, Romeo formerly was Editor and Editorial Director of Restaurant Business, a national publication which won several awards during his tenure.
Romeo currently maintains the popular blos Restaurant Reality Check and contributes content to a variety of websites, Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and publications.

Neil Culbertson has spent more than 25 years successfully growing brands and businesses for Top 100 restaurant chains and Fortune 500 consumer product companies. He is the founder and president of Growth Partners, a Denver-based marketing and business development consulting firm focused exclusively on the Restaurant and Food & Beverage industries.
     His partnership with The Parquet Group provides additional, senior-level marketing expertise to Parquet's full suite of solutions designed for both established and emerging restaurant chains seeking to grow. Before starting his firm in 2003, Culbertson was Chief Marketing Officer for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, a unique 350-unit casual dining concept, which enjoyed a very favorable initial public offering in 2002. He also has experience in both the fast casual and quick service sectors, having served as a marketing executive with Boston Market and Taco Bell.
     Culbertson is a classically trained marketer with an MBA in marketing and general management from Northwestern University, followed by ten years of directing Consumer Packaged Goods marketing teams at General Mills and Kraft General Foods. He currently serves on the executive boards of Junior Achievement and Temple Sinai in Denver.

Our Business

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Our Name

Nearly a half century ago, one athletic team re-invented its sport by:
- Speeding up the transition from
   defense to offense
- Setting high goals and expectations
- Creating a strong identity, down to
   its unique parquet playing floor
- Putting team goals ahead of
   individual achievements
- Communicating on the court during
   the heat of battle
- Improvising to find new ways to win
Our name was inspired by the Boston Celtics and their legendary run on the Garden's parquet floor - the patience, teamwork, intelligence and commitment to excellence that drove them. While none of our partners are from Boston, we find these principles are more valid than ever as we help clients build strong performance and winning cultures based on quality, integrity and teamwork. 

Ironically a similar winning tradition is being built this century by the Orlando Magic on the parquet floor of our adopted hometown.