CORE welcomes new members to its Board of Directors

Children of Restaurant Workers (CORE)©, the national nonprofit that supports hospitality workers with children, today announced the appointment of four new members to its Board of Directors. The new board members include Frank Sickelsmith, vice president international for Inspire Brands, Desiree Springer, vice president national accounts on premise at Titos Handmade Vodka, Rachael Kelly, chief people officer at Smokey Bones, and Stacey Kane, president of BroadTalk Marketing, an independent director of marketing at has been a CORE consultant for two years.

VEIN will benefit from the wealth of knowledge and industry experience of the new members,” said Colleen Brennan, Vice President, National Accounts Rodney Strong Wines and CEO of VEIN. “You come to CORE at an exciting time as we continue to raise awareness and funding for food and beverage service workers who have legally dependent children and are in a qualifying situation. The addition of these directors complements the skills and experience of our board, and we are confident they will provide valuable prospects as we continue to execute our strategy, drive development and meet the needs of some of the industry’s 15 million employees.”

Frank, Lisa, Rachael and Stacey will work with the other 11 board members and CORE’s Executive Director, Sheila Bennett, to support the entire hospitality and beverage industry VEIN and increase visibility for families affected by a health crisis, injury, death or natural disaster.

For the past five years, CORE has served families of restaurant workers in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. They have helped families affected by tornadoes in Nashville, Mayfield, KY, wildfires, hurricanes and families facing a health crisis. CORE helps cover living expenses, medical needs, expenses, child care, therapies and more while navigating a qualifying circumstance. CORE provided financial assistance to families who lost everything when their home caught fire or allowed a single mother to be with her child during major surgery, treatment and recovery.

“During my tenure in the food and beverage industry, I have met many employees and families with heartbreaking stories of how they have faced adversity,” said Sheila Bennett, Executive Director of CORE. “You inspire our team to work even harder and I hope so now VEIN to be the first point of contact that comes to mind when employees with children are affected by a health crisis or natural disaster and need support and financial relief.”

About Frank Sickelsmith

Frank Sickelsmith is International’s Chief Development Officer for Inspire Brands. Inspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company with a current portfolio of 32,000 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco and SONIC Drive-In worldwide. Prior to his current role, Frank worked at Autogrill Group as Global Vice President and Group Director of Brand Development and Strategic Partnerships and previously held senior positions at HMS Host and Brinker International

About Desiree Springer

Desiree has over 20 years of experience in the wine and spirits industry. She is currently Vice President of National Accounts On Premise for Tito’ Handmade Vodka. Her diverse background in the industry allows her to look at on-site business from a holistic perspective. With her experience as an operator, distributor and supplier, her passion, drive and commitment to excellence has driven her to deliver excellence at every turn. Her creative approach to driving revenue growth, designing innovative programs, and inspiring her team to dream in color to achieve their goals sets her apart. She has led her team in winning multiple VIBE awards for excellence in on-premises accounts.

About Rachel Kelly

Rachael Kelly has over 20 years of human resources experience helping restaurant businesses build engaging and productive cultures. Most recently, Rachael served as the chief people and culture officer for Smokey Bones, owed to Sun Capital. Kelly was recently named woman of the year by the National Diversity Council, along with other awards including being named Most Influential Restaurant Industry Executive by Nation’s Restaurant News and Top 50 Human Resources Professional by Oncon Icon Awards.

About Stacey Kane

Stacey Kane has over 25 years of experience working with multi-unit restaurant chains as a Marketing Manager and Marketing Consultant. She has worked with brands such as California Tortilla, ThinkFoodGroup, Subway, and East Coast Wings + Grill. Known for her incredible creativity and obsession with dates, she has been named four times in Fast Casual Magazine’s Top 25 Movers and Shakers List and twice in the Nation’s Restaurant News Power List – Readers Pick. Currently, Kane is a fractional chief marketing officer for several fast-casual brands, including cult favorites Mamoun’s Falafel and Garden Catering. She stepped in as a consultant to lead CORE’s April 2020 marketing efforts.

About Sheila Bennett

Sheila Bennett, a Nashville, TN native, is Executive Director of CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees as Executive Director, serving families of restaurant workers in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. With over 30 years of restaurant industry experience, Bennett has worked for the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation, Share Our Strength – No Kid Hungry and created the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry, has worked in all aspects of the restaurant industry and has worked for Loyalty E- marketing company. In 2021, she was named to the Nation’s Restaurant News POWER LIST – Reader’s Choice Award and received the Phila Award, Category: Patti Myint Award presented by the Nashville Scene in partnership with the Nashville Farmers’ Market and the Metro Human Relations Commission .

About children of restaurant workers (CORE)

CORE: Children of Restaurant Workers, a national 501(c)3 is dedicated to serving food and beverage service workers with children when either the working parent or the child is disabled by a medical diagnosis, illness, injury, death, or disability a natural disaster. Founded by food and beverage industry veterans to help hospitality workers with children bridge the financial gap when either the parent or child is dealing with a health crisis or natural disaster. Since 2013, the organization has grown into a nationally recognized nonprofit that has served more than 1,600 families in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. To qualify for a scholarship, to apply, or to recommend a family for a scholarship, please visit CREgives.org. To learn more about CORE and how you can help food and beverage service workers with children by making a donation, please visit COREgives.org.

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