2011 Nominee Biographies
Aaron Johnson….….………………………….……Pg. 2
Phillip Seely….…..………………………………….Pg. 3
Frank Steed.……….……………...……………...…Pg. 4
Leon Tates….……………………………………….Pg. 5
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Aaron Johnson
Guardian Industries
Supervisor of Hot End and Maintenance Departments
Community Service Organizations
 Corsicana/Navarro County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, 2009-2010
Employment History
 Present - Guardian Industries
Education
 Corsicana High School, 1995
 Present - Navarro College, Business Administration
Comments
 Married for twelve years to high school sweetheart, Cynthia. Has three wonderful boys (ages 6½,
3 ½ and 1).
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Phillip Seely
Navarro County
Director of Planning & Zoning
Community Service Organizations
 Associated General Contractors of America
 Society of Engineering Technology
Employment History
 Present – Director of Planning & Zoning for Navarro County
o Established to help chain operators in a wide variety of industries develop franchising
programs on an outsourced basis; both domestic and internationally, that are uniquely
suited to their brands.
 Prior Employment History
o DT Construction as Superintendent for elementary school construction
o Kiewit Offshore Services as an Engineering Estimator for offshore petroleum
infrastructures.
Education
 Corsicana High School Graduate
 2009 - Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Tech with a Bachelor of Science in
Construction Engineering.
Comments
 Lifelong resident of Corsicana, son of Loran and Donna Seely of Corsicana. Played baseball all
four years of high school, was a member of the National Honor Society and graduated in the top
10% of his class.
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Frank Steed
President & CEO
The Steed Consultancy
3514 Francisco Bay Drive
Kerens, TX 75144
Community Service Organizations
 Women’s Foodservice Forum Board
 Board of Governors of the University of North Texas School of Hospitality
 Board of the Dallas White Rock Marathon
 Member National Restaurant Association
 Member the International Franchise Association
 Member the Multicultural Hospitality and Foodservice Alliance
Employment History
 Present – President & CEO of The Steed Consultancy
o Established to help chain operators in a wide variety of industries develop franchising
programs on an outsourced basis; both domestic and internationally, that are uniquely
suited to their brands.
 Prior – 35 years experience in the restaurant and franchise industries
o President & CEO of Tony Roma’s
o Metromedia Restaurant Group - Franchise development for Bennigan’s, Bonanza,
o Ponderosa and Steak and Ale
o President of the Bonanza, Ponderosa and Country Hospitality Corporation chains
Comments
 Frank began his career as a doorman in TGI Friday’s number 2 and grew with the chain to
become the Executive Vice President of Operations and Franchise Development.
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Leon Tates
McCoy’s Building Products
Store Manager
Corsicana, TX 75110
Community Service Organizations
 YMCA Board of Directors
 CARE Board of Directors
 Corsicana Education Foundation Board of Directors
 Coached soccer, softball and baseball for many years and stays involved in the community.
Employment History
 2005 to Present – Store Manger, McCoy’s Building Products
Manage all aspects of the store operation, sales, losses and profitability of a multi-million dollar
store. Responsible for building relationships, customer service, recruits, hires, trains and
manages associates.
 2004 to 2005 – Store Manager, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Mount Pleasant, TX
 2001 to 2004 – Sales Manger, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Conroe, TX
 1997 to 2001 – Platform Engineer, Reliant Building Products, Bryan, TX
 1996 to 1997 – Design Engineer, Schultz Homes, Navasota, TX
Education
 Paul Quinn University, Dallas, TX, 2003
 Bachelor of Science, Organization Management
 ITT Technical Institute, Houston, TX, 1993
 Associates Degree in Computer Aided Drafting
Comments
 Dynamic sales and management career with exceeding sales goals within a competitive business
market. Expert in building top-producing sales organizations through strategic marketing, tactical
sales, and customer service management. Outstanding record of achievement in acquiring new
accounts and contract negotiations. Excellent communicator with the ability to actively manage
change.
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