President
Emily Alt
Marco's Franchising LLC
Emily had over a decade of experience as an HR Leader in healthcare before joining Marco’s Pizza in 2018. Since then, she’s been instrumental in growing the HR team to support the high-growth business. Emily has been a champion of Marco’s People First culture and a leader in overhauling Marco’s employee benefits and compensation programs.
Immediate-Past President
Amy Woods
The Wendy's Company
Amy Woods is currently Vice President, Total Rewards for The Wendy’s Company headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. At Wendy’s, Amy is responsible for leading executive and broad-based compensation and employee benefit programs. She has over 25 years of human resources experience across restaurant, manufacturing, and technology industries. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management and Business Economics from Miami University, and a master’s degree in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. Amy has been a member of CRTRA since she joined Wendy’s in 2018.
Vice President & Treasurer
Theresa Schnelle
KBP Brands
Theresa Schnelle is the Vice President of Employee Services for KBP Brands. With over 20 years of HR operations experience in various industries, she is a strategic partner to the business valued for building strong relationships and delivering results. Theresa is currently responsible for the Benefits, Payroll, and Employee Service Center functions. Theresa holds an MBA from Rockhurst University and several designations, including SHRM, CEBS, CBP, and CCP. Theresa has been a member of CRTRA since she joined KBP in 2022.
Survey Director
Greg White
Moore & VanAllen
Gregory White joined MooreVanAllen based in Charlotte, North Carolina in January 2023 as the Senior Compensation Analyst.
Prior to Moore & VanAllen, Greg served as Senior Compensation and Benefits Analyst for Bojangles. He was the Compensation Specialist and Coordinator of Employee Relations for Union County Public Schools. Including time spent with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, Greg has worked in Human Resources for over 20 years in various roles. Greg received his bachelor’s degree from Capella University in Human Resources Management. Greg also is active member of WorldatWorks and most importantly, he is the 2022 CRTRA conference Axe Throwing Champion!!
Conference Director
Cathy Chase
Bojangles' Restaurants, Inc.
Cathy Chase is the Vice President of People and Culture at Bojangles Restaurants, Inc. and is based in Charlotte, NC. Cathy was promoted to VP on March 6, 2023 and leads the People and Culture function. She previously led the Employee Experience team at Bojangles from 2020–2023 and the team has responsibility for Benefits, Compensation, Employee Relations, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Culture. She received her master’s degree in business and Human Resources from Southern New Hampshire University.
Membership Director
Natalie Calderon
Wingstop
Natalie Calderon is currently an HR Generalist at Wingstop Restaurants, Inc since August 2021. At Wingstop Natalie is responsible for analyzing team member benefit plans and policies and assists in determining team members benefit best practices by researching industry and employment trends. During her time at Wingstop she has implemented a benefit marketplace and a recruiting portal for all Wingstop franchisees, implemented new HR processes, and played a key role in Total Rewards Benchmarking for the organization.
She attended the University of Texas at Arlington and received a B.B.A in Marketing and Management. After graduating she discovered her passion for HR at K&N engineering where she started her career in HR as an HR Administrator. Natalie strives to one day lead a best-in-class people team!
Communications Director
Cynthia Strope
Steak N Shake
Cynthia Strope is the Vice President, Talent Acquisition and Development for Steak ‘n Shake and is based in Indianapolis, IN. Cynthia has been within the Human Resource space for over 25 years and has led Human Resources teams with responsibility for Talent Acquisition, Succession Planning, HR Strategy, Payroll, Benefits, and Compensation. Cynthia received her MBA from Xavier University.
Education Director
Caitlin Cepluch
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
Caitlin has her Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management from The Ohio State University and has been in HR for 15 years. Caitlin is currently the Director of Benefits with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and Rusty Bucket, where she has been for the last 10 years. She drives the overall benefits strategy for the organization while focusing on the company’s philosophies of putting associates first and making “Yes” the answer.