Board of Directors

John N. Venzon

Chairman

John is the President of AdvantaClean Systems, a fast growing nationwide franchise corporation that specializes in light environmental services. AdvantaClean serves large commercial clients, federal facilities and residential customers with over 120 locations in 27 states.

John spent 20 years in executive leadership roles in sales, technology and operations with IBM and Bank of America. In addition, he has owned and operated a customer service focused Internet company, a wholesale and retail sporting goods company and a consultancy.

John holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and has completed over 1,800 hours of corporate education. He is an active community volunteer and enjoys competitive sports. He lives with his wife, Laurie, and their two children in Davidson, NC.

Ken Essex

Kenneth F. Essex is a founding member of the law firm of Essex Richards, P.A. For more than 35 years his practice has centered on the representation of business entities. Essex grew up in Winston-Salem and received his undergraduate degree from Davidson College. After serving as an Army officer in Vietnam, he returned to North Carolina and earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina.

He has served on the Dowd YMCA Board of Managers, Mecklenburg County Literacy Council Board of Directors, Friendship Trays Board of Directors, and Mecklenburg County Bar Executive Committee. He has also chaired the Nominating Committee and Legal Services for the Elderly Committee for the Mecklenburg County Bar.

Essex and his wife, Faye, live in Davidson and have five adult children.

Steven A. Miller

Steve Miller is general manager and partner in Retherford-Miller & Associates in Charlotte, a strategic multi-media consulting firm focusing on revenue growth for television, radio, sports marketing, interactive, online and emerging technology companies. Founded in 1999, RMA specializes in corporate strategy, advertising, marketing and business development.

Miller’s strategic vision, knowledge and influence, backed by two decades of media industry experience, have helped organizations meet the complex challenges of today’s marketplace. He spent 18 years with Time Warner Cable Inc. and AOL in California and the Mid-Atlantic region as vice president of ad sales. He also developed and launched two North Carolina cable TV news networks, as well as C-SET, the Charlotte Bobcats’ basketball sports and entertainment cable TV network. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California.

Miller and his wife, Susan, moved to Cornelius, North Carolina, in 2002. They have two children – Holly, and Bryce.

Brett Ellis

Board Treasurer

Brett Ellis is the Chief Financial Officer at CoaLogix, Inc., a growing company focused on providing innovative services to coal-fired power generating facilities to reduce their environmental footprint through technology, optimization and efficiency improvements.  Mr. Ellis is responsible for all finance, accounting, business development and treasury activities and provides support to the Company’s board of directors.  Mr. Ellis has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, strategic development, mergers and acquisitions, operations and financial planning and analysis experience.   Prior to joining CoaLogix, Mr. Ellis was most recently with FairPoint Communications, Inc., a leading communications provider of broadband Internet access, local and long-distance phone, television and other high-capacity data services to customers in communities across 18 states, in the role of Vice President, Business Planning and Financial Reporting. 

Mr. Ellis is a CPA with experience in the telecommunications, manufacturing and public accounting industries.  Mr. Ellis holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting degree from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mr. Ellis and his wife, Pattie, have four children and live in Huntersville, NC.

Dawn Huston

Secretary

Dawn Huston is a strategic thinking and results oriented sales and marketing professional. She is currently a senior manager in marketing with Deb USA, Ltd, where she manages lead generation, new product commercialization, and channel strategy. Dawn has held leadership positions in sales and marketing with global companies, such as Newell Rubbermaid, The Quaker Oats Company, and Solo Cup Company.

Her areas of expertise are customer relationship management, strategic planning, and program development for commercial customers. Huston holds 3 United States Patents for innovative products developed through customer insight. She holds officer positions on the board of directors in Morrison Plantation's homeowner and master associations.

Dawn and her husband Neil Krasnigor, have a son and a daughter and live in Mooresville.