Mike received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Xavier University and considered a career in law until a job with the Muer Restaurant Corporation changed his career path. Mike climbed the corporate ladder at Muer, moving with the organization to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1975. In 1981, Mike joined with Dennis Serras to create Mainstreet Ventures Inc.
A distinguished figure in the restaurant industry, Mike is an active member of the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) and the National Restaurant Association (NRA). Mike served as Chairman of the MRA from 1986-1987 in addition to fulfilling many other roles in the organization. He is currently a Board Member of the NRA and Chairman of the NRA Government Affairs Committee.
Mr. Gibbons also highly values community involvement and believes in giving back both personally and professionally to the communities Mainstreet Ventures serves. Mainstreet Ventures and its restaurants work closely with several charitable organizations each year to raise approximately $250,000 annually. Mr. Gibbons was nominated for the Cornerstone Humanitarian of the Year award in 2004 for his many efforts.
Mainstreet Ventures _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Carroll L. Ashley Carroll Ashley graduated from the University of Toledo with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Human Resources and a Master of Business Administration in Finance. From 1974 to 1994, he held various positions at Riverside Hospital ranging from Assistant Director of Personnel to President and CEO. Following his career at Riverside, Carroll joined Blue Cross Blue Shield as Executive Vice President of Public & Government Relations and from 1997 to 2002 served as President and CEO of Mutual Health Service, the self-funded division of Medical Mutual of Ohio. In 2002, Carroll formed the Ashley Insurance Group, Ltd.
Carroll is a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Toledo, the Toledo Cultural Arts Center, Ohio Council of Charter Schools, and several private companies. He is also an active member of Toledo Rotary, Toledo Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, World President Organization, New Hope Foundation, and other nonprofit community organizations. At present, he serves on the Broker Advisory Board of three insurance companies. Ashley Insurance Group _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ George J. Howick A graduate of Bowling Green State University, George J. Howick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism and a Master of Business Administration degree. He has served in several executive and entrepreneurial positions in his extensive professional career and has achieved many awards including induction into the National Entrepreneurs Hall of Fame in 1990.
Mr. Howick has also been an active writer, lecturer, and teacher. He has published two books and several hundred articles and has lectured extensively before business and professional groups in the United States and abroad. For 10 years, Mr. Howick also produced and hosted Ohio Business, a weekly television show focusing on current issues in business and profiling successful companies in the Great Lakes area.
Mr. Howick is currently a consultant to entrepreneurial companies, specializing in strategic planning, corporate restructuring, business valuation, analysis, deal structuring, and negotiation of acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.
Married to his wife Joan for 50 years, Mr. Howick is a father of five and grandfather of nine. He enjoys golf, reading, bird watching, fishing, nature study, and grandfathering.
