BLUEMONT, Va., Sept. 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boulder Crest Retreat, the country's first and only privately-funded retreat offering accommodations and recreational therapeutic services to wounded warriors, announces the appointment of Franco DeBlasio to the organization's Board of Directors. Mr. DeBlasio brings to 18, the number of business executives representing a broad array of private sector companies across the country that serve on this board and support its mission.
Boulder Crest, a not-for-profit organization, was founded by Ken Falke, a retired U.S. Navy EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) expert and successful local entrepreneur who donated land in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for this purpose. Currently under construction, Boulder Crest Retreat will offer the wounded military men and women returning from the battlefields a restful and rural sanctuary to enjoy time to reconnect with their families at no cost. A $10 million capital budget is underway with nearly $5 million raised in the first year to cover the construction of accommodations, meeting space and outdoor recreational facilities. The Retreat is slated for completion in the Summer of 2013. The budget is funded completely by donations.
Franco DeBlasio is the managing partner in DeBlasio & DeBlasio Associates and a managing partner in Magnolia investments. He has over 20 years of business and financial management experience. Prior to its sale and merger into KS International, he was CFO at Sallyport Global Holdings, Inc., a $200 million government contracting company primarily operating throughout the Middle East. Earlier in his career, he was CFO at KADSCo, a large value-added reseller of capital equipment to the oil and gas exploration market.
At DeBlasio & DeBlasio Associates, Mr. DeBlasio is involved extensively in not-for-profit and governmental auditing as well as in providing M&A consulting and interim CFO services. In his position at Magnolia investments, he is responsible for evaluating investment opportunities for the partnership.
Mr. DeBlasio is a licensed CPA in the state of Pennsylvania and holds an MBA from Duquesne University and a BS from Robert Morris University. He currently resides in Greensburg, PA.
"I welcome Franco to our Board and to our highly committed group of senior business executives that support the vision of a retreat exclusively for our wounded troops and their families," said Ken Falke. "I am grateful to include him on our team and to count on him for advice and counsel as we attain each milestone towards completion and begin to plan for the day when we welcome the first group of military families."
"For our wounded servicemen and women who have given so much of their lives for our country, and have experienced the negative effects of war -- from long-term severe physical issues such as loss of limbs to Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- Boulder Crest Retreat will offer a chance for these brave individuals to spend time with their family as an essential part of their healing process," said Franco DeBlasio. "I am honored to accept this board position and to serve as ambassador to the business community for this valiant cause."
Boulder Crest Retreat will include handicap-accessible 'greentech' cabins and a meetinghouse, an organic garden, a bird sanctuary, a fishing pond, nature walks and other outdoor amenities to include recreational and nonclinical therapies.
In addition to the Board of Directors, an august group of military titans serve on the Honorary Advisory Board of Boulder Crest Retreat. Honorary Advisors include former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, General Henry Shelton, (Ret.) U.S. Army, General Peter Pace, (Ret.) U.S. Marine Corps., U.S. Navy Admiral (Ret.) William J. Fallon, and the Honorable Ike Skelton, former Congressman from Missouri.
About Boulder Crest Retreat
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Boulder Crest Retreat offers a rural sanctuary to wounded warriors and their families through accommodations, non-clinical and recreational therapeutic activities to speed their physical, mental and spiritual recovery. Founded in 2010 by retired US Navy EOD Technician and successful local entrepreneur Ken Falke, this not-for-profit undertaking will be built on land he donated and with funds contributed by local corporations and private citizens. For more information or to make a tax deductable donation, visit www.bouldercrestretreat.org.
The Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Warriors logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=12991