Management Team
Roger Wittenberns
Roger Wittenberns was the Founder and Chief Executive of Lady of America Franchise Corp., a nationwide chain of full-service fitness centers exclusively for women. Lady of America was incorporated in 1989 and went on to create two other highly successful franchise chains: Lady of America Express and Workout Express, a co-ed version of an "express" fitness center. In early 2005 Roger sold the nearly 1,200 Lady of America franchise chain.
Roger began his career in the health club industry in 1975 when he joined a large, 40,000 sq ft Jack LaLanne health club in Fort Lee, NJ. Eventually, he was promoted to a sales position, where he refined his membership recruiting and retention skills. He was subsequently approached by a large competitor, European Health Spas, and was offered the position of vice president, with responsibility for nearly 40 locations. After several years with European Health Spas, Roger opened his own health club. Once its successful operation was established, Roger added more than 300 clubs. He began franchising nationwide in 1989 under the Lady of America trademark. He is recognized today as one of the leading authorities in the franchise industry.
Andrew Barnett
Throughout his career, Mr. Barnett has been engaged in various aspects of the financial services, health care and real estate industries. Prior to joining Diversified Health & Fitness, Mr. Barnett served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development of NMI Finance Inc, a fully diversified real estate company. Mr. Barnett was responsible for the signing of Letter Intents to acquire four mortgage companies and a title company to create $4.6 billion in loan volume, $118 million in revenue, and $18 million in net income.
Prior to NMI Finance, Mr. Barnett served as Vice President of Corporate Development of Dental Partners, Inc., a dental practice management company. At Dental Partners, he was responsible for establishing a $15 million bank line of credit, making $30 million of acquisitions, and selling the company. Mr. Barnett held a similar position at Trident Medical Concepts, Inc., a physician practice management company. At Trident, Mr. Barnett assisted in raising over $20 million through a private placement and assisted in $60 million of acquisitions.
Prior to Trident, Mr. Barnett served as Executive Vice President and Director of Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. (MDF:AMEX). Mr. Barnett received a B.S. degree from Pennsylvania State University.
(MDF:NYSE). Mr. Barnett founded MDF assisted in the capital raise, all acquisitions (totaling $40 million) , and the Intial Public Offering on the NASDAQ exchange. Metropolitan Health Networks currently produces over $376 million in revenue and $25 million in net income
Charles Cavuoto, COO
Charles Cavuoto has an extensive background in the fitness industry. He started in the fitness business while still in high school and went on to own and operate a chain of 15 European Health Spas for over 15 years. From 1998 through 2005, Mr. Cavuoto served as Executive Vice President of Franchise Sales and then President of Lady of America's Franchise Division. He helped build the company from 50 locations to more than 1000. By having the experience of owning and operating a large business and being in the franchise industry, he is able to bring a multitude of talent and experience to the Company.
Benjamin Gettler ESQ, President
Mr. Gettler is a graduate of Yale University and holds a JD with a specialization in tax and business planning. Benjamin has served on various public and private boards and has advised publicly traded companies, charitable organizations and law firms. Benjamin oversaw the rollout of a multimillion investment fund targeting undervalued assets in South Florida and currently is a founding partner and officer in an investment firm and asset management company, managing over $300,000,000 in assets. He is an active member of his community as a philanthropist and volunteer.
Robert Kagan, M.D. Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Kagan has steadily introduced new technologies and services to Florida's physicians and their patients over the past 25 years. He is responsible for the establishment of the first Nuclear Cardiology laboratory in Florida. Between 1985 and 1987, he opened the first outpatient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) center in Florida, the first mobile MRI service and the first open MRI center in Florida, all when MRI was still considered an experimental technology. From 1999 through 2002, Dr. Kagan served as President of BodyVision and Medical Imaging Company. Since 1999, Dr. Kagan has served as President of MRI Scan Center, Inc., a medical imaging company located in South Florida. Since 2002, he has also served as President of Sunshine Reads, Inc. Dr. Kagan also previously served as the Medical Director of Nuclear Medicine at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale and Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Miami. He is Board Certified in Clinical Pathology, Nuclear Medicine and Hyperbaric Medicine.
Dr. Kagan has published many papers in peer reviewed medical journals and has been an invited lecturer nationally and internationally in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Nuclear Medicine. He is a member of numerous medical societies including the Radiologic Society of North America, the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the International Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, the Institute for Clinical PET American College of Nuclear Physicians, the College of American Pathologists, Society for Clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and the American Roentgen Ray Society.
Dr. Kagan received his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. His postgraduate medical education included a medical internship at the University of California San Francisco and residency training programs in Pathology and Nuclear Medicine at the National Institute of Health. He completed fellowships in MRI at UC-San Francisco and Huntington Memorial Research Laboratories in Pasadena. He has held professional offices in several organizations, including President of the Florida Association of Nuclear Physicians and Chairman of the Board of the Nuclear Medicine Resource Committee of the College of American Pathologists.
Mike Bowen, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Bowen has spent many years as an Investment Banker and consultant to small businesses. He began his career with Goldman Sachs in New York and moved to Tokyo to help establish the Japan office for Goldman. He subsequently worked for Salomon Brothers, where he and two others opened the Hong Kong office and Chase Manhattan Limited in London where he built from scratch and managed Chase’s entire International Capital Markets business worldwide. Subsequent to this, Mr. Bowen owned and operated a small business consultancy starting in the United Kingdom and then in the US. Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of a $10 million in sales Business where, among other projects, he was responsible for the installation of all new accounting, MIS, warehouse management and shipping software.
Patty Wittenberns
International Training Director
Judy Scott, Franchise Sales Director
Judy Scott has had over 40 years of experience working in the health and fitness industry. Her expertise brought her to Jack La Lanne Health Spas in the 1970’s. Within the first 6 months, Judy’s past experience in the health spa industry, along with her dynamic personality, propelled her into the position of Area Supervisor. In 1975, she was appointed Assistant General Manager. In this capacity, she was responsible for instituting many new systems and controls. The years that Judy put into the company were instrumental in her becoming the Vice-President of Jack La Lanne International Health Spa Franchising. Fifteen years ago, she moved on to Lady of America Franchise Corporation, managing two of the most successful women’s only clubs, in Broward County, Florida. Judy now holds the position of Director if Franchise Sales at Diversified Health and Fitness.
Kayleen Cleary - Presale and Training Support
Kayleen Cleary is a certified personal trainer by The Cooper Institute of Dallas with over 11 years experience in the Health Fitness Industry. Kayleen currently owns and operates Bridal Fit Boot camp and does additional field work as a Regional Sales Director overseeing 5 locations for Diversified Health & Fitness, Inc. This training implemented a variety of effective revenue-building marketing and training programs for the DFW and OKC markets.
Doug Johnson
Doug Johnson, a 10 year US Army veteran and US Army Drill Sergeant, has 18 years experience in the health and fitness industry. He has held positions from personal trainer, membership counselor, general manager, district manager, club consultant and owner.
Doug has worked with major clubs such as, Bally Total Fitness, World’s Gym, Gold’s Gym, Planet Fitness, American Club Systems, and a number of independently owned clubs.
Doug’s continual growth and performance in the industry will bring valuable hands on knowledge that can be utilized by all Franchisees to guide your success of operating your franchises.
Shary Thur
President of Real Estate
Jon Cashion
Vice President of Real Estate
Brian Blair
Webmaster
