Premier Private Preschools
Specializing in the Care and Education of Young Children
Company Information
The Sunbrook Franchising Management Team has combined over 50 years experience in early
childhood development and education as well as the business of owning and operating high
quality child care centers. This wealth of knowledge has helped us develop a blueprint for
success in this industry. We know what works well and what does not. We have developed
over 30 centers and have served as consultants for major national companies and
individuals alike. We have also held (and continue to hold) leadership positions in a vast
array of childhood education and development organizations including the Georgia Child
Care Association, the National Child Care Association, the National Association for the
Education of Young Children, The Georgia Child Care Council, and a host of local,
community-based organizations.
We have developed a proven, sound business model. We emphasize safety,
quality, hands-on support and effective cost control. As a Sunbrook Academy Franchise
Owner, you have access to the Sunbrook Franchise Team. You will know that you have made
the right decision!
The Sunbrook Franchising Management
Team
Nicki E. Aronson (Co-Owner & Board of Directors) opened her
first child care center in 1985. As President of Pembrook Child Care Development, Inc. (an
affiliated company which performs consulting and new development), she and her business
partner, Janice Cuevas, have developed and built over 30 child care centers, owned and
managed a number of early childhood development centers and provided consulting services
for numerous child care center owners. Her responsibilities under the franchise program
include franchise sales and development, franchise system development, center operations,
franchisee training programs, and ongoing franchisee support. Ms. Aronson has been very
active in a variety of industry leadership roles as an advocate for young children and
providers of high quality early childhood care and education. These roles include: serving
on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Child Care Association since 1988, as chair of
various committees and as Treasurer, Vice President and President of the Association. She
has also served on the Board of Directors for the National Child Care Association and is
also a member of the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP) and the
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Ms. Aronson has worked
diligently to develop and maintain a close, positive working relationship with state
licensing and regulating agencies. Because of these efforts, her input was sought by the
Department of Human Resources when making revisions to licensing regulations, and she is
one of only five child care providers statewide to have been included in the Office of
School Readiness Advisory Council. In 2001, Ms. Aronson was appointed by Lt. Governor Mark
Taylor to serve a three year term on the board of the Georgia Child Care Council,
Georgia’s primary policy setting agency and clearinghouse for state and federal
funding streams. On a local level, she is an active founding member and has served as the
chairperson of the Northwest Suburban Child Care Association and has held a position on
Cobb County’s Child Abuse Protocol Committee. Ms. Aronson also has extensive
experience in the real estate profession and maintains a current Georgia real estate
license.
Janice G. Cuevas (Co-Owner & Board of Directors) began her
child care career with KinderCare Child Care Centers of America as a teacher and Center
Director from 1972 to 1975. She spent the next ten years in medical and dental office
management. In 1985, she returned to child care as owner of Daycare Properties and
subsequently as Broker and President of Cuevas & Associates, both commercial real
estate companies specializing in the marketing of child care centers all across the
country, both in new development and acquisitions of existing centers. During her tenure
with Daycare Properties, Ms. Cuevas consistently led the national volume of child care
center sales. Together with Nicki Aronson, she has developed over 30 child care centers,
owned and managed a number of early childhood development centers and served as a
consultant on child care to both national companies and individuals. Her responsibilities
under the franchise program include franchise system development, franchise sales and
development, center operations, franchisee training programs, and ongoing franchisee
support. Ms. Cuevas has taken an industry leadership position by serving a variety of
organizations and associations within the child care community. In addition to having
served as a Board Member, various chairperson positions and Secretary for the Georgia
Child Care Association, she has served as Vice President of Cobb County Pre-K Coordination
Council. She has served on the Licensing Task Force, a Committee formed with the
Department of Human Resources to review the existing licensing rules and regulations and
on the Funding Streams Advisory Board, a board created by the Georgia Child Care Council
and appointed by Governor Zell Miller. Ms. Cuevas is also and active member of the
National Child Care Association and the National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC). On a local level, she is an active founding member of the Northwest
Suburban Child Care Association. Ms. Cuevas also maintains a current Georgia real estate
broker’s license.
Jacquelyn (Jacki) E. Gass
(Co-Owner, President & Chairman of
the Board of Directors) has been involved in the business of early childhood care and
education since the late 1980’s and has owned and managed her own school since 1996.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Georgia Southern University. Ms.
Gass is responsible for franchise program development, franchise sales and development,
center operations, franchisee training programs, and ongoing franchisee support. She is
experienced in providing organizational and operational support for new child care centers
as well as interim management for schools in crisis. Her areas of specialization include
school management; evaluation, planning and coordination of training for owners, managers
and staff; developing and implementing policies and procedures for administrative and
classroom routines; furnishing schools and arranging classrooms; and maintaining a
positive environment for young children, their families and the staff. Since joining the
Pembrook team in 1994, Ms. Gass has assisted in the successful development of over a dozen
new child care centers in the metro Atlanta area. She has also taken an active role in a
variety of children’s advocacy activities. In addition to being a member of the
National Child Care Association, Ms. Gass is active with the Georgia Child Care
Association and has served three terms as the Chair of its Conference and
Professional Development Committee. Serving in that capacity, she has developed and
coordinated many statewide conferences and training sessions. In addition, Ms. Gass has
also been very active in a wide variety of child care legislative activities,
participating in both state and national legislative conferences dealing with child care
and children’s advocacy issues. At a more local level, she coordinates and hosts training workshops
for child care providers across several metro Atlanta counties.
D. Neil Gass
(Co-Owner, Chief Executive Officer & Board of
Directors) holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University
and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. His responsibilities include financial and
business operations, franchise sales, new center development, and ongoing franchisee
support. He has co-owned a child care center since 1996. From July 1995 to the present, he
has also served as Director of Business Operations for Pembrook Child Care Development,
Inc. where he performs a variety of functions for new center development including the
coordination of site selection, zoning, engineering, financing and construction. He has
successfully assisted in the development of over a dozen child care centers in metro
Atlanta. In addition to new center development, Mr. Gass maintains the information
technology systems and manages all aspects of the financial operations of Pembrook and
Sunbrook Franchising as well as the company owned schools. In 1997, Mr. Gass was elected
to the Board of Directors for the Georgia Child Care Association, where in addition to
serving on a variety of committees, he served three terms as Legal and Legislative Vice
President, two terms as Vice-President, and a year as its President.
Serving in that capacity, he has coordinated and implemented both state and national
campaigns to advocate for young children and providers of high quality childhood care and
education. He has also served on several committees for the National Child Care
Association and regularly attends national child care and legislative conferences. At a
more local level, Mr. Gass has served three terms as President of both the Cobb County and
Cherokee County Pre-kindergarten Coordination Councils as well as two terms as a member of
the Ninth District Opportunity Head Start Policy Council which oversees all Head Start
programs across North Georgia. He has also served on the Cobb Human Services
Coalition’s Child Care and Advocacy Teams and the Northwest Suburban Child Care
Association.
