[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 41 (Monday, March 29, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           TRIBUTE TO THE NFA CONVENTION IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. RIC KELLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 29, 2004

  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
the National Franchisee Association (NFA), the association of Burger 
King franchisees. The NFA will be in Orlando May 3-6, 2004 for its 12th 
Annual Convention and Tradeshow. I am delighted the NFA has chosen once 
again to return to Orlando. In fact, this will be the third time the 
NFA has visited Orlando with nearly 3,500 Burger King franchisees, 
vendors, and other participants. With its theme parks and attractions, 
Orlando is one of our Nation's premier vacation and convention 
destinations--it's clear to see why groups like NFA want to return to 
Orlando over and over again. The theme of this year's NFA convention, 
``The Magic of the Fire,'' is quite apropos as it combines the 
``Magic'' of Orlando and the entrepreneurial ``Fire'' of the Burger 
King franchisees.
  Two Burger King franchisees, in particular, have been instrumental in 
bringing the Burger King family to Orlando. They are Julian Josephson 
and Dominick Vespoli.
  Julian Josephson, the Chairman of the NFA, has a story very similar 
to many of our immigrant ancestors who brought their entrepreneurial 
spirit to this country seeking a brighter future. Julian moved to the 
United States from Johannesburg, South Africa in 1978. Since then, he 
and his business partner Stanley Smiedt, have built a successful 
business that includes nearly 40 Burger King Restaurants in Southern 
California, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Julian has not only 
provided exceptional leadership to the NFA as chairman and vice 
president, he has served his community through numerous initiatives. 
Julian has been a dedicated husband and father to his wife Jenny and 
their children Heidi and Anthony. Julian and Jenny are the proud 
grandparents of Maya Silberstein.
  Dominick Vespoli is the Convention Chairman. Dominick grew up in 
Jersey City, New Jersey and began working in Burger King restaurants in 
1974. He worked in a variety of jobs learning the skills needed to run 
successful restaurants. In 1990, Dominick became a Burger King 
franchisee. He, and his business partner Nathan Blau, now own and 
operate 10 successful Burger King restaurants in New Jersey. Dominick 
has been a dedicated husband and father to his wife Celenia and their 
two sons, Jason and James.
  The restaurant industry as a whole employs 12 million men and women, 
a significant driving force for our economy. I commend Julian and 
Dominick, and their fellow franchise owners, for their contributions to 
job creation and economic growth. These entrepreneurs are the backbone 
of our economy. I wish to thank them for their outstanding service to 
the NFA and their commitment to their communities. I look forward to 
seeing them both and the other Burger King franchisees when they visit 
Orlando in May.

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