Meet our leadership team! These six hands-on, talented team members are truly experts in their fields. They strategically steer the direction of the franchise while working closely with both bakery owners and the 30-member Dillon crew. Whether in bakeries, at industry gatherings, or researching ways to better our business, they're the real thing: great leaders and great people too.

Mike Ferretti, President and CEO
Janet Tatarka, Director of Franchise Services
Mark Peterson, Director of Bakery Operations
Debbie Huber,New Media Strategist & External Community Manage
Heidi Melendez, Director of Development

If you've had a chance to check out some of the other pages on this site, you're probably thinking the same thing I was back in 2001. What a cool company. What cool people. What a philosophy. Wow!

For years, I had envisioned an environment where people worked to make a difference in the world, and were still able to make a living. I'm a dad too, and I wanted to show my kids that you can be a responsible corporate citizen and still operate a professional, high quality company. Great Harvest was it. In June of 2001, I jumped in and never looked back. I've served as President & CEO of Great Harvest Bread Co. ever since.

One of the things I'm most proud of is our Great Harvest mission statement. To paraphrase, it says life is too short to not have a good time. If you're going to do something, take the time to do it right. Treat people with respect. Make some money to fund the things that matter to you. Take care of the people and things around you. These aren't ideals that we put down at the end of the day. That really is who we are.

How did I get here? I spent quite a few years as a franchisee of a different system to learn how to operate a small business firsthand. I also spent some time consulting for that same franchise company, later acting as their chief financial officer. This combination of franchisee and franchisor experience has allowed me to bring a unique, and hopefully fair, perspective to Great Harvest.

Life before franchising was pretty different. I was a tax accountant with Price Waterhouse, specializing in the financial institutions business. I went to college at the University of Virginia, and earned my MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In my free time, you'll find me hanging out with my wonderful wife, Eadie; our cool kids, Peter and Michael; and our dog, Benji. I love spending time on my bike and crave moments on the open road. I've completed over 40 bike rides of at least 100 miles, many of them as a volunteer coach for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. In a somewhat questionable move, I recently decided to expand my exercise horizon and enter the multi-sport world of triathlons. I'm starting to think riding a bike for 100 miles is a whole lot more fun when I don't have to swim before - or run after - the ride.


See you in Montana, the bakeries, or somewhere in between...


Mike

Experience

Small business is in my blood! Growing up, my parents owned and operated both a 19-unit motel and managed the county airport. I learned owning your own business is the most rewarding job on the planet - but it takes a load of hard work and focus to be successful. I started my career in Denver, Colorado at National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine as a supervisor in their food service. I joined Great Harvest in 1991 as a "generalist&. Over the years my job experience included being "The Wheat Lady", convention planner, customer service trainer at new store openings, extranet webmaster, newsletter editor and numerous other responsibilities. In 2000 I became the Director of Franchise Services. The Franchise Services Department trains new stores and oversees group purchasing, nutrition, web strategies, convention, testing and distributing wheat, and research and development of new products and processes.

Competencies

Give me the idea, I can make it happen; keeping projects and goals on track; balancing many balls at once - and being in control of the balls! Foodie.

Education

B.S. degree in Food Systems Management from Montana State University. Minor in Business Management.

In My Free Time

Family: My husband and kids are a gift I try hard to appreciate and enjoy every day. Cooking: I love it! It's the way I relax. I'll read any cooking magazine I can get my hands on, and try the recipes I find. Walking: It's my favorite form of exercise (rumor has it I can walk faster than some runners!) Reading: I'm the program co-chair for our local Shakespeare group - a book club that started in 1895. Music: I'm secretary of the Southwestern Montana Arts Council. This group brings 10-12 musical events to the community of Dillon each year.

Favorite Aspects of Great Harvest

Giving out big, thick, fresh hot slices of Great Harvest bread over the Breadboard. Being a part of the training team for new store openings. I love helping others realize their dream of opening their very own business!

Experience

All of my work experience has been with Great Harvest, starting in June of 1991 and working happily ever after. Brought in as an "Administrative Generalist", things progressed quickly due to internal needs for bakery field support. Over the next seven years, I held several positions including opening trainer, bakery manager, field representative, and franchise candidate selection. Since 1998, I've been our Director of Bakery Operations. Our department is responsible for supporting and advising each and every bakery in the core areas of their business, from bread quality and menu development to improving bakery efficiency and troubleshooting equipment problems.

Competencies

A natural people person. Excellent team builder and team player. I love to teach and coach, and believe you must do both side-by-side to have a happy staff. Strong at prioritizing and juggling many balls, I get things done and stay balanced at the same time.

Education

B.S. degree in Biology from Concordia College. Minor in Psychology.

My Favorite Aspects of Great Harvest

I really love the people and the bread. It's also allowed me to experience our great country, coast to coast.

Family

I have a wonderful family. I married my high school sweetheart, Kathy, in 1991 and have never looked back. We have two children, Andy (born in 1992) and Kelsey (born in 1994). When away from work, the four of us spend most of our time adventuring in Montana's great outdoors: playing sports, hunting, fishing, and camping.

Belief

We get one shot at this little game called life, so you might as well have fun. Life's too short to spend all of your time working and worrying about money. Get out, be active, live your dreams, and enjoy the people around you.

Experience

I joined Great Harvest in 1991, fresh out of college. At the beginning, I worked on legal & administrative projects, squeezed into a small office with Hans Wendt (now a Great Harvest owner in Bellingham, Washington) and the mailing table. I moved to the operations side of the company and have worked through new bakery tracking, training, openings, and established bakery support. A few years ago, I had a chance to manage the franchise sales and development process. I have managed several different Great Harvest departments over the years. Presently I am developing our new strategies for social media marketing and communicating on behalf of Great Harvest in on-line communities and networks

Education

B.A. degree in Economics from Amherst College. Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Montana.

In My Free Time

I hang out with my husband, Jim, and two young kids, Nick and Lindsey.

My "Finding Great Harvest" Story

I was finishing college in Massachusetts and frantically job hunting all over the West. My husband (boyfriend at the time) saw an ad in his local paper for a job in Dillon, Montana. My first reaction was, "That's very sweet of you to try to help with my hunt, but there can't be a 'real' job in Dillon, Montana." On a whim, I called the 800 number and was greeted by the nicest person on the other end of the line. She sent me a packet of information and I was shocked to learn what a cool company this is - and that the job sounded very challenging and interesting. Long story short, I got the job and still love Great Harvest!

Credo

Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends and integrity. And you're keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls - family, health, friends, and integrity - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life.

Favorite quote

"Those who give up freedom for security deserve neither security nor freedom." ~ Ben Franklin

Experience

I have dedicated my career to working in entrepreneurial enterprises, including over 15 years working for JobTRAK Corporation and Monster Worldwide, pioneering organizations in the online recruitment industry. I have experience managing a wide variety of departments and functional areas including Human Resources, Communications, Customer Service, and Sales. For me, Great Harvest not only represents the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that have been at the heart of my career, but also represents a return to basics and tradition that I hold dear as well.

Competencies

Ability to effectively influence decisions and drive ideas, change and results in a fast-paced entrepreneurial setting. Areas of specialization include consultative selling, customer relationship management, recruitment, strategic planning, customer service operations, training and development, and managing and motivating staff.

Education

B.A. degree in English from Loyola Marymount University.

In My Free Time

Most of my free time is dedicated to my 12 year old son and his activities. I also enjoy sports, outdoor activities, travel, horseback riding, reading, and creative writing.

Favorite Aspects of Great Harvest

Coming to work at a place where everyone greets you with a smile and a friendly “hello.†The infectious passion for this business that resonates within the Great Harvest staff and bakery community. Being part of a company whose mission and values I closely identify with on a personal level.

Favorite Quote

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Albert Einstein