Sun Tan City® Continues Growth; Four New Hires to Executive Team

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., Oct. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the company's continued growth, Sun Tan City® has added to its Executive Team based in Louisville, KY.  The new hires each bring decades of experience in their respective fields and are poised to help the brand expand as it continues its growth internally and through franchise expansion.

Chris Sternberg joined Sun Tan City as Senior Vice President and General Counsel in September 2012.  This new role comes after a successful 18-year career at Papa John's Pizza where he helped the brand grow from a regional chain with 500 restaurants in 1994 to the world's third largest pizza chain with nearly 4,000 franchised and company-owned restaurants in 32 countries. Prior to serving at General Counsel, Sternberg served as the SVP of Corporate Communications responsible for overseeing communications, community-relations and events.

Sternberg's experience will help as Sun Tan City increases its number of company-owned and franchise locations throughout the country. He received his BA from Bellarmine University and his JD from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. In addition, Sternberg served in the United States Army Reserves from 1984 to 1996, retiring with the rank of Major.

Bill Kent joined Sun Tan City as Chief Information Officer in May 2012.  Kent's focus will be leading the Information Technology Department as they look to align technology to support the continued growth of Sun Tan City's salons and concepts.

Kent has more than 26 years of IT experience at large Fortune 500 Companies like Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil and General Motors and mid-level brands like EDS, Copeland's and Texas Roadhouse. He comes to Sun Tan City after eight years at Texas Roadhouse where he built and led the IT department as it grew to more than 300 company and franchise restaurants. His work there played a key role as the company went public in 2004 and opened its first international restaurant in 2010.

Kent holds a Computer Science degree from Louisiana State University and Phillips College. He is a graduate of EDS' (Electronic Data Systems) SED (System Engineering Development program and holds several IT and Project Management certificates.

Martha Redman joined Sun Tan City as Chief Marketing Officer in March 2012. Redman brings nearly 30 years of marketing experience where she has worked on both the corporate and agency side. She has extensive experience in brand development, advertising, sales promotions, and events and sports marketing.  She comes to Sun Tan City following 7 1/2 years at Humana.

Redman leads the Sun Tan City marketing team as they work to grow the brand name and build lasting customer engagement. A Louisville native, Redman is a graduate of University of Louisville and is pursuing a graduate degree at Bellarmine University.

Beth Ransdell will lead Sun Tan City's franchise growth in her role as Director of Franchising. This role will be key to the brand's national growth as she seeks out qualified candidates to become Franchisees.

Ransdell has more than 20 years of Sales and Marketing experience. Her career includes time at Humana, where she rose to Marketing Manager for the Florida Region, to Papa John's International, as Director of Franchising. Beth started franchising Papa John's domestically and later moved into the International Division, promoting the brand in Europe. During her time there, the company grew from a regional chain to world's third-largest pizza chain with nearly 4,000 franchised and company-owned restaurants. Ransdell is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University.

"The expertise and passion our new hires bring to our Executive Team is unmatched. Under their leadership we expect to see major growth of the Sun Tan City brand," said Rick Kueber, CEO/Co-Founder. "We're looking forward to seeing where this talented group takes us in the future."

Beyond the Executive Team hires, Sun Tan City has added to its Marketing Team to respond to the company's growth.

Alice O'Donnell joins the Sun Tan City team as Senior Marketing Director.  She brings more than 10 years of franchise marketing experience working for the Agile Pursuits Franchising Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Procter & Gamble aiding in developing the franchise brands of Tide Dry Cleaners and Mr. Clean Car Wash, in addition to working for Papa John's International as Regional Marketing Director overseeing 250+ locations in the Central Midwest Division.

ABOUT SUN TAN CITY^® 
Sun Tan City is the nation's fastest growing chain of privately owned tanning salons, operating more than 200 premier salons in Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. In 2011, Sun Tan City was again recognized as one of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in America by Inc. magazine. The company was founded in 1999 by brothers David and Rick Kueber and is based in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. For more information on franchise opportunities, memberships, products and locations, visit Sun Tan City online.

SOURCE Sun Tan City