---
title: "Celebree School’s New Chief Development Officer Jim DiRugeris Helps Franchisees Make a Positive Impact"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/50bd000f-a57b-4d0f-b68f-7a7b04238bc8
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/celebree-schools-new-chief-development-officer-jim-dirugeris-helps-franchisees-make-a-positive-impact-2712571
category: "Education & Childcare"
industry: "Education & Childcare"
topics: ["People"]
published: 2020-03-20T01:20:17.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:30:07.698Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/2a03502431cb2837f06d03e9817f5c9e5025.jpg
---

# Celebree School’s New Chief Development Officer Jim DiRugeris Helps Franchisees Make a Positive Impact

**TL;DR:** Celebree School appoints Jim DiRugeris as Chief Development Officer to help franchisees make a positive impact on their communities. DiRugeris will manage the entire franchise development process and assist franchisees in real estate selection, development, and construction.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2020-03-20. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/celebree-schools-new-chief-development-officer-jim-dirugeris-helps-franchisees-make-a-positive-impact-2712571).*

## Story

**Celebree School****, a leader in early childhood education with** **26 company-owned locations** **in Maryland and Delaware, recently appointed** **Jim DiRugeris as chief development officer.** **In this role, DiRugeris will work closely with prospective and new franchisees as they start their journey with** **Celebree School****.**

**“I started my franchise career back in 2007 as the director of real estate and construction at** **Maaco Franchising****, before transitioning into the early childhood education segment as the VP of franchise development at** **The Goddard School****. With a strong background in sales, real estate, construction and digital marketing, I am well-versed in the pre- and post-sales process and recognize the various challenges associated with opening a new location.”**

**Now, DiRugeris brings this wealth of franchising experience to The Celebree School. As a seasoned professional who understands the various facets of franchise development, DiRugeris strives to recruit franchisees who are enthusiastic about the early childhood education brand.**

**“****What really drew me to Celebree School was meeting the incredible leadership team****,” said DiRugeris. “As an emerging company, Celebree School offers the opportunity to reasonably build out a strategic growth plan. Everything is controlled internally, and we can have honest conversations with franchisees about where to take the brand.”**

**As chief development officer, DiRugeris will** **manage the entire franchise development process** **from new lead inquiries to a center’s grand opening. As part of the brand’s** **strong support infrastructure****, DiRugeris assists franchisees in real estate selection, development and construction process until they are in a position where they are ready to open.**

**“I understand that choosing to open a franchise is a significant, life-changing decision, and I work to ensure that the** **franchisee is supported throughout the processes of both exploration and on-boarding****,” said DiRugeris. “On a larger scale, we have many long-term growth plans for the brand and franchise network.”**

**According to DiRugeris,** **Celebree School’s goal is to have 100 schools open by the end of 2025****. The aggressive but achievable growth plan will help develop a healthy franchise network. In order to reach more communities, Celebree School is** **looking to expand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.****, spreading organically from its Maryland and Delaware roots.**

**“As our network of franchisees continues to grow, it’s critical to have someone like Jim leading franchise development,” said** **Richard Huffman, founder and CEO of Celebree School****. “He will serve as one of the first touchpoints someone has with Celebree and help guide them to establish and run a quality school.”**

**With a mission to** **Grow People Big and Small™****, Celebree School believes success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection. Each school employs a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional and academic needs of children and follows applicable state guidelines through its** **core values of “Educate, Nurture and Protect”.**

**“I’m excited to join the Celebree team and assist with bringing the company’s proven model to more markets and families,” said DiRugeris. “I am proud to say I am involved in helping educate young children and understand why this franchise opportunity is appealing to those wanting to make a positive impact in their community.”**

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- franchise development (topic)
- Education & Childcare (sector)
- expansion plans (topic)
- early childhood education (topic)
- leadership appointment (topic)
- Celebree School (company)
- Maaco (company)
- Richard Huffman (person)
- Goddard School (company)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/celebree-schools-new-chief-development-officer-jim-dirugeris-helps-franchisees-make-a-positive-impact-2712571). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/50bd000f-a57b-4d0f-b68f-7a7b04238bc8).