IFA Welcomes Air Force Veteran as New VetFran Program Manager

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:

Matthew Haller, 202-460-8356

Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766

mhaller@franchise.org

jweisbord@franchise.org


IFA WELCOMES AIR FORCE VETERAN AS NEW VETFRAN PROGRAM MANAGER


WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2015 – The International Franchise Association is pleased to announce that U.S. Air Force Veteran George Eldridge will join the organization as program manager for VetFran, the franchise industry’s strategic initiative to help veterans, military spouses and wounded warriors transition to civilian life through employment opportunities and franchise ownership.


Eldridge will oversee veteran relations, educational programming for veterans considering careers or ownership opportunities in franchising and the VetFran Committee, helping IFA continue its award-winning efforts for veterans. He will also work closely with a network of over 650 franchise brands that voluntarily offer financial discounts and training for aspiring veteran franchisees and veterans seeking employment. 


Eldridge’s efforts will build on the success of IFA’s VetFran program that has helped increase the number of veterans who have found employment in the industry to over 200,000 with 5,600 becoming franchise owners, with more than 50,000 finding employment and more than 400 becoming franchise owners in 2014 alone.


“George Eldridge brings significant dedication and past experience to the association as we continue to expand our educational programming and outreach for veterans. Veterans are a natural fit for franchising because they are highly trained to work as part of teams, follow a proven organizational structure and excel in leadership,” said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira, CFE. “I am happy to welcome George to the IFA team and look forward to his future successes as he steps into this critically- important role.”


Eldridge graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and has served as an Air Force intelligence officer for the past 12 years. He has completed tours of duty in Korea, Iraq and Germany. He recently returned to the Washington, D.C., area and is pursuing his Master of Business Administration at George Washington University.  


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About the International Franchise Association

The International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. Celebrating over 55 years of excellence, education and advocacy, IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising. Through its media awareness campaign highlighting the theme, Franchising: Building Local Businesses, One Opportunity at a Time, IFA promotes the economic impact of the more than 770,000 franchise establishments, which support nearly 18 million direct and indirect jobs and $2.1 trillion of economic output for the U.S. economy. IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law and business development.


 


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Phone: +1 202/628-8000    Fax: +1 202/628-0812     www.franchise.org

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