Meet Our Team

Richard O. Huffman

President & Chief Executive Officer

Richard O. Huffman is the founder, President, and CEO of Celebree Schools. Richie founded Celebree in 1994, growing our brand from a single preschool into the company we are today. In his current role, Richie shares his expertise, insights, and leadership with Celebree School franchisees, while continuing to shape Celebree’s short-term and long-term vision.

Over the course of more than two decades, Richie has grown Celebree from a single location into Maryland’s largest privately held chain of child care centers. With Celebree’s entry into the franchise sector, Richie now shares the secrets to his success with Celebree franchisees. In his work with Celebree School franchise owners, Richie shares more than 20 years of industry experience and entrepreneurial expertise. He offers direct support to franchisees as they develop their locations while challenging assumptions that could impede their business. He is committed to the success of every franchisee and is available on a daily basis for one-on-one support.

As the President and CEO of Celebree Schools, Richie continues to guide the core vision of our brand: a vision that embraces change, innovation, and the constant pursuit of self-improvement. Thanks to Richie’s combination of leadership and experience, Celebree continues to set industry standards within the early childhood education sector. Richie has also shaped Celebree’s dynamic corporate culture, helping us attract some of the most forward-thinking leaders and executives in our industry.

As the President and CEO of Celebree Schools, Richie continues to guide the core vision of our brand: a vision that embraces change, innovation, and the constant pursuit of self-improvement. Thanks to Richie’s combination of leadership and experience, Celebree continues to set industry standards within the early childhood education sector. Richie has also shaped Celebree’s dynamic corporate culture, helping us attract some of the most forward-thinking leaders and executives in our industry.

Learn More About Celebree’s CEO Richard O. Huffman

Allan J. Greenberg, CPA MBA CFE

Chief Financial Officer

Allan J. Greenberg joined Celebree in 2017, where he is currently the Chief Financial Officer. Allan works directly with Celebree franchise owners, helping them navigate the entrepreneurial side of franchise ownership. Allan’s leadership skills, financial expertise, and experience in business management are an invaluable resource for Celebree franchise owners.

Prior to joining Celebree, Allan worked for 25 years in the rapid expansion retail sector. Allan’s career includes extensive C-level experience, with a track record of success across several areas of business management, such as finance, operations, mergers, acquisitions, and process improvement. His resume includes an Executive MBA from Loyola University, and he is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Franchise Management Certificate Program.

As our Chief Financial Officer, Allan translates his professional experience into guidance and support for Celebree franchisees. Allan works closely with new franchise owners, offering one-on-one advice at every stage of business development. Allan’s guidance helps franchisees build an effective business plan, grow their operations sustainably, and fine-tune the Celebree system for their local community.

In addition to helping franchisees in the early stages of business ownership, Allan is eager to offer his support to established franchisees when they are facing new obstacles or looking to expand their business. In these situations, Allan works with franchise owners to develop creative solutions to their problems or adopt a forward-thinking strategy for growth.

As part of the Celebree team, Allan is proud to be part of a brand that is making a meaningful impact in the lives of families, parents, and children. Outside of Celebree, Allan is active in his community, including serving on the Board of Directors and acting as Treasurer for his local synagogue.

Chris Kelleher, CFE

Vice President of Franchise Operations & Franchise Development

Chris Kelleher joined Celebree® in 2016, bringing a first-class track record in franchise development to our team. As Vice President of Franchise Operations and Franchise Development, Chris is responsible for developing the Celebree franchise offering and giving franchisees the resources they need as business owners.

A long-time member of the International Franchising Association, Chris is recognized by the IFA as a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE). His educational qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Towson University and a Certificate in Franchise Management from Georgetown University.

Chris also boasts more than 16 years of experience in business development and franchise operations. Before arriving at Celebree, Chris served as Director of Operations for one of the country’s fastest-growing weight-control franchise brands. In this role, Chris oversaw all aspects of franchise operations, including franchise development, ongoing business operations, and strategic planning. Under Chris’s leadership, the brand more than doubled its number of franchised locations in a five-year period.

As part of the Celebree team, Chris has translated his franchise development skillset into the childcare sector. Since joining Celebree, he has made it his mission to build Celebree into our industry’s premier franchise system. Through Chris’s tireless efforts, our franchisees enjoy one of the most attractive, sustainable, and successful franchise systems in the business.

In addition to developing the Celebree franchise offering, Chris oversees our corporate-level resources and infrastructure for franchisees. To ensure franchisees receive world-class support, Chris has helped construct a rigorous support structure, providing franchisees with the information, tools, and resources they need to build a thriving business.

Chris is thrilled to be a member of the Celebree team, building a brand that gives back to local communities. Away from the office, Chris acts as commissioner for his local rec soccer league, through which he coaches both of his sons’ teams.

Kori M. Wilson

Director of Curriculum & Training

Kori Wilson is the Director of Curriculum and Training at Celebree, a role she assumed in 2018. Kori’s position places her at the heart of Celebree’s brand identity. She has played an instrumental role in transforming Celebree from a thriving network of day care centers into one of the premier franchise offerings within the child care industry. Prior to joining Celebree, Kori had spent more than 25 years in the field of Early Childhood Education. She began her career as a teacher, working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Later, Kori became a Program Director, drawing on her classroom experience to create forward-thinking and child-centered education programs.

For more than two decades, Kori owned and operated her own child care training company. In this capacity, Kori developed a series of courses, workshops, and training materials for early childhood educators. Her work covered an extensive range of topics, such as curriculum; licensing and continued compliance; recruiting, managing, and retaining teaching staff; teambuilding; and guiding young children’s behavior. Our franchise owners turn to Kori for guidance with initial licensing, ongoing training and development, enrollment assistance, and other aspects of child care operations. Kori brings invaluable first-hand knowledge to the table, including both classroom and management experience.

For more than two decades, Kori owned and operated her own child care training company. In this capacity, Kori developed a series of courses, workshops, and training materials for early childhood educators. Her work covered an extensive range of topics, such as curriculum; licensing and continued compliance; recruiting, managing, and retaining teaching staff; teambuilding; and guiding young children’s behavior.

Kori’s work at Celebree includes developing curriculum, training, and assessment support for all 26 of our corporate locations. She also works directly with franchisees, helping them launch, develop, and operate their businesses. Our franchise owners turn to Kori for guidance with initial licensing, ongoing training and development, enrollment assistance, and other aspects of child care operations. Kori brings invaluable first-hand knowledge to the table, including both classroom and management experience.

Kristen Miller

Director of Accreditation

Kristen Miller became part of the Celebree team in 2015, joining our organization as a Center Director. In 2016, she became our Director of Accreditation, working directly with location owners and managers to ensure they meet Celebree Brand Standards. Kristen’s brings over twenty years of classroom and back-office experience to her work, along with an unbending commitment to excellence in early childhood education. Before graduating to a management position, Kristen spent more than a decade working in classrooms.

As the Director of Accreditation at Celebree, Kristen works directly with Celebree franchise owners and location managers, helping them achieve above-and-beyond quality standards. Her work includes direct collaboration with owners and managers, ensuring that they have the knowledge and resources to meet Celebree’s rigorous Brand Standards, as well as Federal and State regulations. Kristen is an invaluable resource to new franchise owners during the early stages of business development. Kristen guides franchisees through the Accreditation Process, conducts evaluations to ensure that all locations meet Brand Standards, and helps franchise owners understand industry grading systems, like Environmental Rating Scales.

Lauren Moran

Director of Marketing

Lauren Moran has been a Celebree team member since 2013. As our Director of Marketing, Lauren is responsible for Celebree’s branding and messaging efforts. Lauren’s skills and knowledge as a marketing specialist are bolstered by her cutting-edge approach to social media, digital marketing, and customer outreach. Before starting her career, Lauren earned a degree in Applied Science & Photography, followed by an apprenticeship with Webmechanix Academy. Lauren joined Celebree following her apprenticeship, starting as an Enrollment Advisor. Over the years, her marketing savvy and demographic insights proved essential to growing the Celebree brand, helping us reach more members of our target demographic and form stronger connections with clients.

Lauren’s work as Director of Marketing is driven by a combination of operational know-how and creative insights. She is a skilled project manager with an intuitive grasp of modern marketing practices. As the head of Celebree’s marketing efforts, Lauren works directly with corporate partners, vendors, and the rest of the Celebree team. She also works closely with Celebree franchisees, helping them develop and implement a targeted marketing strategy for their area.

Lisa Bricker

Chief Talent Officer

Lisa Bricker has been working with Celebree for more than a decade. Lisa joined our team in 2004, spending her first 11 years as Celebree’s Director of Human Resources. That was followed by her current role as Chief Talent Officer. Over her time at Celebree, Lisa has played an integral role in talent development, helping us become the brand we are today.

Throughout Lisa’s tenure at Celebree, she has carefully documented our talent development efforts, creating a set of tools, processes, and best practices for our company. These resources are easily accessed by new franchise owners, giving them the guidance and support they need to recruit, train, and motivate the best people for their business.

As the Chief Talent Officer at Celebree, Lisa is responsible for all aspects of talent development within our organization. Her expertise guides our overall strategy for talent development, and she takes an active role in the creation, implementation, and oversight of our recruitment and training initiatives.

In her role as the leader of our HR and Training Departments, Lisa provides new franchise owners with detailed training programs, covering everything from business development to talent acquisition to industry, state, and federal regulations. Lisa has also designed a “Train the Trainer” platform, giving franchisees the knowledge and resources they need to train their own team members.

Lisa’s passion for her work is reflected in her industry involvement, which includes membership in the Society of Human Resources Management, the Chesapeake Human Resources Association, the Association of Talent Development, and the Human Capital Institute. She has been certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Human Resources Certification Institute and as a Senior Certified Professional by the Society for Human Resources Management. She was named the VIP Woman of the Year in 2014 by the National Association of Professional Women.

Liane Caruso, CFE

Chief Marketing Officer

Liane has worked with franchise brands for the last 10 years and understands the unique intricacies involved in working with and marketing franchisors and franchisees.

In 2009, Liane launched her own digital marketing agency that grew into serving several franchise brands across multiple industries. The Agency was acquired in 2015 resulting in Liane serving as the Director of Professional Services at Qiigo, a nationally recognized digital marketing agency. More recently Liane was a VP of 1851Franchise.com before striking out on her own again and starting another digital marketing firm.

Liane has been involved in Celebree School’s franchise development and growth since their decision to franchise the brand and is an integral member of the team, driving strategy and marketing initiatives.

James V. DiRugeris

Chief Development Officer

Jim DiRugeris joined Celebree in January 2020, where he is currently the Chief Development Officer. Jim works directly with prospective and current Celebree franchise owners, helping them navigate through the sales, real estate, construction and marketing process. Jim’s leadership skills, franchise expertise, market knowledge and subject matter expert relationships are an invaluable resource for Celebree franchise owners.

Prior to joining Celebree, Jim spent 14 years with national franchise companies both in the automotive and childcare sectors. Jim’s career includes building departments from the ground up, creating strategical growth plans for entering new markets nationally and continued process improvement.

As our Chief Development Officer, Jim translates his extensive childcare experience into guidance and support for Celebree franchisees. Jim works closely with new franchise owners during the site selection and negotiation process, using analytics, demographics and intuition to assist in selecting optimal locations. Jim’s guidance helps franchisees make sound decisions on their path to business ownership.

Janet Miller

Director of Franchise Sales

Janet Miller joined Celebree Schools as the Director of Franchise Sales in 2020. Janet has over 30 years in the franchise industry, with her last 17 years spent working in the childcare industry. As Director of Franchise Sales, Janet is responsible for researching and identifying potential franchisees, maintaining constant communication with them and providing them with valuable information to assist them in their decision-making process.

Janet’s knowledge of franchising is a great resource to prospects who are trying to navigate the complexities of figuring out the steps to business ownership. Buying a franchise is a big decision. Janet understands the emotions that go into this decision and provides insight, guidance and walks them step by step through the process.

Janet also develops and maintains relationships with franchise and business brokers who are looking to place their candidate into a solid business opportunity. She is excited and proud to be a part of this amazing team.

Ali Kraus

Director of Events and Community Engagement

Ali Kraus started at Celebree in June of 2018. Prior to Celebree, Ali was a special education teacher in the Baltimore area for 7 years after graduating from Towson University. Currently, Ali is the Director of Events and Community Engagement for Celebree School. During her time in the marketing department at Celebree, she has extended Celebree’s brand into the communities we serve through partnerships with local chambers of commerce, government officials, local small businesses and has enriched the communication between our schools and families.

Ali works closely with our current franchisees to ensure they are gaining visibility in their local communities. She supports groundbreaking events, grand openings, and grassroots marketing strategies as well as being a constant support with resources to support family engagement and support in the schools.

Allison Tsomos

Vice President of Operations

Allison Tsomos joined Celebree in 1999. She has been a school director, District Director, and is currently the Vice President of Operations. Over the past twenty years, Allison has been a part of the growth of the company by contributing to the opening and operation of twenty of the twenty-six corporate owned schools. As VP of Operations, Allison is responsible for every aspect of fully functioning schools. She develops strategies that keep Celebree at the forefront of curriculum ensuring that every child will be ready for kindergarten. Allison is committed to assisting franchisees in reaching their financial plan. From analyzing lead conversion to customer satisfaction to revenue trends and expense control, Allison will provide guidance and suggestions to optimize the profitability of a Celebree School

Allison’s commitment to being a thought leader in the early childhood industry overlaps with her personal and professional goal of mentoring others and contributing to her community. She is a member of Maryland Child Care Association, National Association for the Education of Young Children as well as serving on Advisory Boards.