About


	Establishment of "Reunion Friendly" SM as the RFN Service Mark, and establishment of RFN as the definitive source for reunion planners and for those seeking reunion business.
	In January 2008, change of company name from The Reunion Network to the Reunion Friendly Network
	Expansion of the original data base of 600 planners to more than 14,000 planners by the end of 2006, and then the loss of most WWII and some Korean veterans due to aging.
	Training more than 7,000 reunion planners at 200 educational conferences and FAMs conducted in cooperation with Convention & Visitors Bureaus, in 38 different states.
	Training more than 1,500 hotel, CVB and Travel Agency sales personnel.
	TRNEWS, renamed Reunion Friendly News in 2008, a full-color, quarterly magazine, started in 1992, is currently distributed free to all of the volunteer military reunion planners and to RFN Member CVBs, hotels, and reunion vendors. Available on-line as of January 1, 2009.
	The Summer Issue, 2009, was the 18th edition of RFN's Annual Directory of "Reunion Friendly" SM Properties & Locations.
	RFN Membership for hotels and CVBs was initiated at the end of 1997, and now includes private web sites (attached to RFN’s Web Site), discounts at Conference exhibits, free matching advertorials with advertisements in Reunion Friendly News, and other special member pricing.
	Frequent and extensive publicity in trade publications, newspapers, radio, and television.
	Numerous speaking engagements at trade shows and conferences, including four times at HSMAI's annual Affordable Meetings Conference.
	Creation and email publication of The Marketer, a weekly newsletter specifically for RFN Members, CVBs, Hotels, and reunion vendors
	Publication of the results of three statistical analyses in The Marketer, based on planner supplied information of more than 15,000 reunions, the first of its type for the military reunion market, in 1997, 2001 and 2004.
	Publication & Distribution of two books by Paul Spiewak, CEO For Planners: Reunions Step by Step – approximately 6,000 copies sold.
	For Reunion Vendors: Reunion Business: What It Is & How To Get It (Available on CD ONLY).
	Creation Publication of RPM (Reunion Planner Memos) an online monthly newsletter for military reunion planners, in 2009.

PAUL J SPIEWAK
RFN President
Founder of the Reunion Friendly Network

Paul has been a professional communicator most of his life. An active Toastmaster since 1991, he served as President of his local club, and as both an Area Governor as a Division Governor.

Starting in 1958, his professional communication
experience was mostly between business people and the then new machines called computers. As a systems analyst, programmer and consultant he pioneered, and is noted, particularly for his systems work in sales forecasting & inventory control, and for legal accounting applications. After one day of retirement in 1991, he began a new career by establishing THE Reunion Network, Inc., renamed the Reunion Friendly Network in 2008, a communications organization for Military Reunion Planners. The company publishes TRNews, renamed Reunion Friendly News, a quarterly-color magazine, for approximately 8,000 military reunion planners, RPM (Reunion Planner memos),an email newsletter for planners, and The Marketer, a weekly email newsletter for approximately 5,000 CVBs, hotels and reunion vendors in its network.

The company also conducts 12-15 training Conferences each year, combined with FAMiliarization tours, throughout the country. A typical conference lasts 3-4 days, during which time, Paul, Charlene and Gale make presentations spanning the range of reunion activities.

Paul is a leader in many organizations including: Life member of the United States Power Squadrons and a Past Commander of the Miami Beach Power Squadron, Past Master of his Masonic Lodge, and a Past President of the South Florida Navigators Club. Due to physical limitations, he has given up water skiing, sailing, acrobatic flying, and roller blading. As an active Master Scuba Diver he has won many prizes for his underwater photography. His current passions are white water river rafting and cycling.

CHARLENE ADAMSON
Executive Vice President
Editor The Marketer

With twenty-five years in the hospitality industry, Charlene joined THE Reunion Network in March 2004, as Vice President of Marketing. A native Tennessean, Charlene has nearly twenty years in the hotel industry both in the United States and internationally. Since 1999 she has worked for the Chattanooga Convention and Visitors Bureau, primarily as Military Reunion Sales Manager focusing on increasing successful military reunions for the Chattanooga area, a great part of which she attributes to working with THE Reunion Network.

As owner of her own hospitality consulting business, WLP, Inc. she has been a public speaker and seminar lecturer for civic organizations, tourism councils, and for the Appalachian Development Center for Women at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky.

She has served on the State Board of Directors for the Kentucky Hotel/Motel Association, Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau, Maysville Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, The Dance Theatre Workshop of Chattanooga, and numerous local organizations in areas where she has worked, as well as Director for the Chattanooga Hotel/Motel Association. She brings to The Reunion Network a broad scope of industry knowledge and experience.

At the beginning of 2009, with the semi-retirement of Paul, Charlene was promoted to Executive Vice President.

GALE HELSER
VP Communications

In 2007 Gale became a part of the RFN family and frequently acts as a presenter at RFN Conferences.

Gale Helser originally hails from Wisconsin, graduating from Beloit Memorial High School. After a tour in Vietnam, he came back to Wisconsin, graduating from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater.

After many years in the printing industry, both owning and managing various printing operations, Gale began selling fine paper and paper products to printers and government-related printing operations in the tri-state area and retired from Georgia-Pacific two years ago after twenty years.

After having taken friends to various vacation locations and Washington, D.C. since before the Vietnam Wall was built, Gale became a meeting planner nearly ten years ago and began providing vacation tours for the veterans in the southern Wisconsin area.

He is a Life Member of the VFW and the American Legion. He maintains memberships in Viet Now, Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and various veteran-related organizations.

Gale now resides in Rio Hondo, Texas with his wife, Diane.

Michael P. Stewart
VP Sales

Michael resides in South Florida but not a stranger to COLD weather from 15 years in Buffalo, NY. Michael’s father fought in the Korean War and is a survivor from the Holocaust.

Michael has worked in Senior Business development for over 20 years focused on organizing, planning, leadership and motivational skills. Combined business acumen with innate ability to build and retain strong relationships. These communication skills have enabled Michael to harness a solid track record in securing key clients and forging external business partners.

Michael was a President of Toastmasters and continues to be an active member. For more than 15 years. Michael was the VP of Sales and Marketing for the 3PL Logistics and Distribution industry domestically and internationally.

Michael filled a vital role on the Charter review board in his local municipality and continues to be involved with several charity events. He is an avid athlete and has taught tennis, racquetball. He continues to coach baseball, and all sports associated with summer camp.

Working with all of the military reunion planners and Members of the Reunion Friendly Network to continue the success that has been built in the past two decades is now the focus of his career!