Our Team

	Richard B Rennick, CFE Founder, CEO American Leak Detection 2005 Chairman International Franchise Association

Richard "Dick" Rennick is the founder and past CEO of American Leak Detection, a Palm Springs, California-based high-tech service firm with more than 360 franchise units in 44 states and a dozen foreign countries. He pioneered the concept of "leak detection without destruction."

For more than 30 years, he has helped to revolutionize the leak detection industry by developing high-tech, non-invasive equipment to find hidden water, sewer, oil, petroleum and air leaks. From swimming pool and water feature cracks to concealed plumbing systems, the smallest leak or pipe defect is located by leak specialists using the most advanced, sensitive electronic tools - without bashing holes in floors, walls, ceilings or digging up yards, roadways and parking lots.

Recognized as one of the leading experts in the franchise community, Rennick's wisdom is often tapped by established, emerging, and internationally-based franchise systems such as the Dwyer Group, Great Harvest Bakeries, Roto-Rooter, Two Men and a Truck, Rent Your Boxes and many others to evaluate their franchise business model and recommend improvements to their programs and processes.

Dick Rennick has been an active member of the International Franchise Association (IFA), the world's oldest and largest trade association representing the franchise sector, for more than five decades.  He was appointed Chairman of the IFA Board of Directors for the 2005/2006 term and chairman of the IFA Educational Foundation in 2002 - 2004.  He founded the association's Franchise Emergency Action Team (FEAT), a non-profit network that mobilizes the franchise community to help people affected by disasters, and currently serves on the board's executive committee.

Rennick has appeared on many television and radio programs as a franchise expert and has been quoted in such publications as Business Week, Financial Times, Inc., Kiplinger's, the Washington Post and a myriad of others.

Rennick was named the IFA's Entrepreneur of the Year for 1997/1998 and the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers Franchisor of the Year for 1998. The University of Texas at El Paso has honored him with three awards: Outstanding Franchisor, 1996; Franchising Excellence Internationally, 1997; and Franchising Innovation, 2000.  For his pioneering and innovative technology, the Spirit of Entrepreneur Technology Award was presented to him in 2004 by a group composed of members from California State University, San Bernardino; Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship; and Riverside Press Enterprise. He has also received a Certified Franchise Executive designation from the IFA.

Dick Rennick's personal and business philosophy can be summed up in a single word:

TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves More.

 

	Cynthia Gartman, CFE Managing Director, TEAM RENNICK

 

With more than 25 years of franchising experience, Cynthia Gartman brings extensive leadership in total franchise systems management, implementation, sales, marketing and communications to her position as managing director of TEAM Rennick.  Previously, Ms. Gartman was president and chief operating officer of Country Place Living, an assisted living franchisor.  Prior to joining Country Place Living, Ms. Gartman served as a senior franchise consultant with one of the largest franchise consulting firms in the U.S. where she advised new and growing franchise systems by offering coaching, mentoring and consulting services in every aspect of franchising.  She also served as senior director of franchise support services for Accor North America, responsible for franchise administration, management and development for a number of national hotel brands under the Accor North America Brand. 

 

Currently, Ms. Gartman is active on several committees within the International Franchise Association (IFA) including the Institute of Certified Franchise Executives board of governors where she is treasurer, minorities in franchising (past chair), and is a women’s franchise committee mentor. In addition, Ms. Gartman was also on the launch board of directors for Parenting Alone, a 501C ministry aimed at providing guiding support and resources for single-parent families and is currently on the advisory board for Thunder Road Hospitality Corp., a new lodging concept aimed at the motorcycle community.

 

Ms. Gartman received a bachelor’s degree in English and French from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.

 

An acclaimed speaker and writer in the area of franchising and diversity in the workplace, Ms. Gartman has published articles in publications such as Franchising World magazine and Franchise Times magazine and has been featured in some of the top resources on franchising, including the 2008 best-selling book “The Franchise Times Guide to Selecting, Buying and Owning a Franchise” by Babcock and Bennett.

 

	Monte Hamilton   Director of Online Services

 

Monte  Hamilton is co-founder and Chief Development Officer of Perpetual Publishers, a company designed to market YUDU Media's digital publishing solution as the preferred partner for developing digital content for small businesses in the United States.

 

Over the last 30 years, Mr. Hamilton has obtained experience in consulting, managing, coaching, mentoring in general business and franchising and has become a leader in executive recruiting and internet consulting.  Mr. Hamilton has spent more than twenty years as an executive recruiter to Fortune 100 companies, recruiting mid-level and executive level financial and information technology specialists.  Since 1994, Hamilton has been actively involved with internet consulting with the firm Hamilton Associates.  Hamilton Associates has developed, hosted, and maintained websites utilizing a variety of applications including eCommerce, recruiting, and online publishing.  Additionally, for the past two years, Hamilton  has helped many clients launch their publications online utilizing this state of the art YUDU platform.  Mr. Hamilton served as Director of Franchise Development for Las Vegas Discount Golf and Tennis, a 65-store franchise chain. Prior to that, he worked as a Marketing Development Consultant for American Leak Detection.

 

Monte Hamilton received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Montana at Missoula and served our Country in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.