Frank S. Buonanotte

EXPERIENCE
Chairman and CEO, Barrett Rand Corporation. Mr. Buonanotte is an investor in small to mid-size companies and commercial real estate. His investments in companies include ownership stakes in a minor league baseball team, an investment bank specializing in middle market companies, and a software firm which he recently sold to a large publicly traded company. His investments in real estate are focused on in-town, irreplaceable buildings that can be redeveloped to higher and better uses. Along with his partner, Stein Investment Group, he has acquired and redeveloped a prominent shopping center in Buckhead, a landmark building in Virginia Highlands, and several strategic properties in Westside Atlanta, including Westside Ironworks and Westside Village.

Founder and Partner, Metro Real Estate Investment Advisors. Mr. Buonanotte co-founded Metro Real Estate Investment Advisors which creates increased wealth for individual and institutional investors through the strategic acquisition, development, and sale of real estate.

Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Party City of Atlanta. Mr. Buonanotte formed Party City of Atlanta in 1992. Under his direction, it grew to operate 27 retail superstores and became the largest and most successful franchisee of Party City Corporation until its sale to the franchisor in 2007.

Founder, Chairman, and CEO, The Shopping Center Group. Under Mr. Buonanotte's leadership from its formation in 1984 until his retirement in 2003, The Shopping Center Group, which has 22 offices throughout the country, grew to become the largest independently owned retail real estate services company in the nation and the dominant retail real estate service provider in the southeast.

Prior to his entrepreneurial experience in real estate and retail, he served as an executive with several large corporations including management and senior management positions in corporate development, marketing, advertising & promotion, and sales.

Mr. Buonanotte has completed the YPO President's Program at the Harvard Business School as well as the YPO President's Program at The Aspen Institute. He has also completed the Directors' College (for Board Directors) at the Terry College of Business, University of Georgia.

RECOGNITION

  • Mr. Buonanotte's philanthropy has been the subject of numerous feature articles and newscasts in media such as: The Wall Street Journal, Readers Digest, The Atlanta Business Chronicle, NBC News, Georgia Trend magazine, Atlanta Woman magazine, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • He was awarded the Georgia Business Ethics Award by the American Society of Financial Advisors and Georgia State University.
  • Mr. Buonanotte was awarded the Entrepreneurial Success Award by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
  • He was twice selected, by Ernst & Young, as a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Mr. Buonanotte was twice named 'Franchisee of the Year' by Party City Corporation.
  • He was named 'Man of the Year' by ChainLinks, an international organization comprised of over 500 retail real estate advisors.
  • Under his leadership, Party City of Atlanta was named one of the Fastest Growing Companies in America by Inc. Magazine in its annual ranking of the Inc. 500.
  • Under his leadership, The Shopping Center Group received three separate awards for Best Real Estate Deal from the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Ernst & Young.
  • Mr. Buonanotte twice received the Bronze Star Award from ChainLinks.

BOARD SERVICE

  • Board of Directors, The Shopping Center Group, LLC
    (Chairman Emeritus, Member of Compensation Committee)
  • Board of Directors, World President's Organization (WPO) Southern 7 Chapter
    (Forum Chair)
  • Board of Directors, LIFT Retail
    (Member of Compensation Committee)
  • Board of Directors, Racemi
    (Advisor to Board)
  • Board of Directors, Gray Ghost Ventures
    (Chairman, Member of Compensation Committee)
  • Board of Directors, Party City of Atlanta, Inc.
    (Chairman)
  • Board of Directors, Young President's Organization (YPO), Southern 7 Chapter
    (Forum Chair, Member Network Chair)
  • Board of Directors, Robert Pattillo Properties, Inc., Atlanta, GA
    (Chairman, Member of Compensation Committee)
  • Board of Directors, Special Olympics of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
    (Member of Sports and Outreach Committee)
  • Board of Directors, Party City Franchisee Committee, Inc., Miami, FL
    (Member of Executive Committee)
  • Board of Directors, Chain Links Retail Advisors, Inc., Washington, DC
    (Chairman, Member of: Executive, Strategic Planning, and By-Laws Committees)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • YPO — WPO (Young Presidents Organization — World Presidents Organization)
  • Chief Executives Organization (CEO)
  • International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)

PERSONAL
Mr. Buonanotte has two grown children. He enjoys flying his helicopter, scuba diving, sailing, fencing, reading, golf, and tennis. He is an avid traveler and has visited over 130 different countries including many "off the beaten path" destinations all over the world.

COMMUNITY
Mr. Buonanotte established 500 For Life, a non-profit, which provided lifesaving equipment to fire departments that could not afford to purchase it on their own. He served on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics of Georgia. He hosted a reoccurring annual golf tournament to benefit Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. He served on the Gentlemen's Committee for Cystic Fibrosis and the Gentlemen's Committee for Scottish Rite Children's Hospital. Mr. Buonanotte is actively involved in supporting Children's Health Care of Atlanta, Special Olympics, National Public Radio, Pace Academy, and The University of Colorado at Boulder.

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