Don Fertman, Board Chair
Don Fertman is the current board chair for The Phoenix, having served on the board since 2013. As Chief Development Officer for Franchise World Headquarters, franchisor of Subway, Don has seen the company grow from 166 restaurants at the time he began his career in 1981 to over 40,000 global locations today. Currently semi-retired, Don continues to work with the company as a Development Consultant and devotes the remainder of his time to recovery work.
Don took his last drink on June 6, 1983. He speaks openly about his journey to recovery and was featured in two episodes of the CBS TV show “Undercover Boss” where he publicly discussed his alcoholism. He also participated in a documentary about the Recovery Movement, “The Anonymous People”, which has been screened around the country and was a producer for “The Concert To Face Addiction” which aired on PBS television. As a result of the outreach that occurred following the Undercover Boss appearance, Don founded Recovery Branches (www.recoverybranches.org) to help those in recovery to find avenues to enrich their lives and assist post-treatment organizations in their expansion efforts.
Prior to his employment at Subway, Don was affiliated with the company through his previous career as a freelance writer and musician, writing and performing jingles promoting Subway sandwiches nationwide. That career also included his participation in a studio project, “How Pop Can You Get” by The Bats, that yielded an album and video which received national attention, including a “recommended” rating in Billboard Magazine and airplay on HBO. Don received a B.S Degree Cum Laude in Communications from the University of New Haven..