Ben is a native North Carolinian and has been playing poker with World Tavern Poker since its inception in the winter of 2004. After attending East Carolina University in Greenville, NC he became a paratrooper in the US Army. He proudly proclaims to be a part of a select breed of soldier, "Airborne...All the way!"
Ben@WorldTavernPoker.com
Kathy Kennedy
Executive in Charge of Keeping the ADHD Founder on Task
"Turk"
Kathy grew up in Thomasville, NC and then showed her superior intellect by choosing to attend Duke University. Go Blue Devils! She has lived in the Triangle area for the last 25 years. Kathy has been a stock broker and was a franchisee with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream. She sold her stores a couple of years ago and is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows. What she does know is that she loves to play poker. She has been playing WTP for almost 2 years and that is how she met Mike and started this latest journey.
Kathy@WorldTavernPoker.com
Dave Keltonic
Genius Graphic Designer
"Craigslist"
Dave grew up in Richmond, VA and recently graduated from James Madison University. He joined the WTP team this fall after finding out about the position through Craiglist. He is threatened daily with the reposting of the Craigslist job ad if he screws up.
Dave is married to his gorgeous wife, Julie.
Dave@WorldTavernPoker.com
Peter Mol
Regional Sales Director
Peter grew up and spent most of his time in and around Detroit, Michigan. After spending almost 20 years in the mortgage biz he decided that he would take some time to find a new career path and locale. After moving to NC in 2005 and finding that he was an unbelievably good poker player (he says he won a game somewhere in late 2007) his joined the Nations #1 Poker League… World Tavern Poker.
“Queen-Four Rocks!” (offsuit of course - double the flush draw, eh)
Yolanda Ortiz
Marketing Assistant
Yolanda grew up mostly in Clarksville, TN (home of the Screaming Eagles!) She took the 4 ½ year track at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (Go Vols). Shortly after graduating, she packed up her life and moved to the triangle area for an internship in Chapel Hill. Once that was over, she thought health insurance and a steady paycheck sounded like a great idea. Like fellow team member Dave, Yolanda found her open position on Craigslist. After the WTP team figured out how awesome she was, they hired her on as a marketing assistant. Although it is not spoken often, the threat of her position being reposted still looms as well.
Yolanda@WorldTavernEntertainment.com
Hollie Watts
Party Guru
Hollie, Hunterdon and their six Australian Cattle Dogs moved to The Poconos, Pennsylvania in 2003 from sunny Southern California. Born and raised in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, Hollie "graduated" from Trenton State College after six years of intensive drinking, game playing and bartending. Hollie began playing World Tavern Poker in 2005, ran her first games in January 2006 and has been growing her poker family ever since! Hollie's hobbies include camping, crafting and fighting with Mike.
Hollie@WorldTavernPoker.com
Central Jersey Franchise Owners
Marie McCarthy
After moving over 23 times in her life, Marie settled right back where she started in her native state of New Jersey. Marie met her husband while sitting next to him at a poker table. Three years later on November 2 they were married on stage by Reverend Mike Matsinger on Fremont Street at the 9th World Tavern Poker Open. After over 11 years in Real Estate, Marie and her husband Matt became WTP franchisees for a New Jersey Region. Marie says. "Nothing but good has happened since she sat at her first game of World Tavern Poker over 4 years ago."
MarieC@WorldTavernEntertainment.com
Dick and Charlotte Macartney
Coastal Carolina Franchise Owners
Introducing Dick and Charlotte MaCartney owners of the Coastal Carolina franchise for World Tavern Entertainment.
Married over 40 years ago they have resided on North Topsail Beach for the past 15 years. Charlotte retired from teaching High School History and Dick completed a 40 year career in the Food Business. Charlotte was born in Texas, Dick in Ohio and they have lived in nine different states. Dick came to poker because his father had a poker club in Reno, Nevada in the 1960's and he shiled there as a 21 year college student.”
After playing poker in World Tavern leagues for three years the opportunity to help grow the brand in the Eastern Carolina market seemed like a fun thing to do while supplementing a retirement income. So far the experience has been all positive, and we are looking forward to meeting many more players and helping more bars and taverns earn money from Trivia and Poker.
DickM@WorldTavernEntertainment.com
CharotteM@WorldTavernEntertainment.com
Patrick McGavisk
NC/VA Franchise Owner
“Professor of Donkeyology”
Patrick grew up in North Carolina. After graduating high school, he spent 4 years in the Marine Corps. He is a graduate of Appalachian State in NC and Thomas Edison State College in NJ. He spent 15 years in the education field where he met his most awesome wife and business partner Angela. Patrick started playing World Tavern Poker in the Raleigh area. In 2009 he and Angela made the decision to become franchise owners with World Tavern Entertainment.
PatrickM@worldtavernentertainment.com
Angela McGavisk
NC/VA Franchise Owner
Angela grew up in Richmond, Virginia. After graduating from Longwood University she moved to North Carolina to work at a Wilderness Therapy Camp to help troubled teenagers. While there she met her husband, Patrick. After getting tired of living in the 21st century with no electricity she and Patrick decided to move to Raleigh - where Patrick became a World Tavern Poker addict. When she finally decided that she was not going to be able to rid him of this addiction, she decided to join him. The two enjoyed World Tavern Poker so much, that in 2009 they decided to became franchise owners.
AngelaM@worldtavernentertainment.com