We are a highly experienced team of professionals who seek the diverse, the complex—and its solutions. We are client driven, allowing your entity to focus on new business. We will always exercise discretion, balance, and fairness.
Above all else, we will always employ Original Thinking.
Key Personnel
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Ralph Griffith
CEO AND PRESIDENT
Ralph Griffith has extensive experience in investment banking, corporate lending, and investment management. Through his work with the Export-Import Bank of the United States, he has recovered assets, restructured loans and prepared loan guarantees. For 20 years, he served in senior corporate lending roles at Ameritrust, Bank One and Huntington Bank, where he performed marketing and strategic planning for commercial mortgage securities. He also served as a Managing Director at Helston Capital, an investment bank specializing in corporate finance advisory, debt and equity financing and restructuring for privately held companies. Mr. Griffith was also a Principal in OhioAngels.com, introducing early-stage technology companies to pre-qualified private investors and professional firms, and assisting these early-stage companies with planning and access to capital.
Mr. Griffith has extensive expertise in complex financial transactions, fund administration and asset recovery. He is also skilled at restructuring and turnaround management and has served as a receiver in Ohio.
He earned his MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Wesleyan University.
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Jordan Fromm
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Jordan Fromm serves various roles for VRG Companies. Mr. Fromm leads VRG real estate initiatives; he is engaged in the asset management, project management, site development, capital investment, and disposition of VRG-held real estate, consults real estate projects and teams across the region. Mr. Fromm also manages a multi-million dollar portfolio of distressed receivables from failed financial institutions pursuant to a public private partnership with the FDIC, and similar portfolios of distressed receivables for active financial institutions Additionally, Mr. Fromm serves as the Director of Project Development for MidAmerican Global Ventures LLC--a VRG Company--which provides mezzanine lending for Ohio construction projects through its two EB-5 Regional Centers covering 35 counties in the State of Ohio.
Early in his career, Mr. Fromm served in VRG’s contract with the GSA, which was responsible for the assessment and disposition of excess Federally-held real estate, was engaged on Federal contracts in Washington DC and with the State of Ohio, and was on planning staff with the City of Dublin, Ohio during the planning, roll-out, and development of the acclaimed Bridge Street District.
He earned an MS from The Ohio State University, and a BS from Indiana University with Honors and Distinction
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Jeffery Sniderman
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL COUNSEL
Jeffery Sniderman serves as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Value Recovery Group (VRG), and as managing attorney for its captive counsel law firm, Fromm Law Group FLG).
Jeff oversees the legal affairs of, and provides counsel to VRG and its family of companies, including Value Recovery Holding, LLC, US Railcar Company, LLC, and Depot Golf Center, LLC. Jeff has considerable experience providing counsel to private companies, political subdivisions, and individuals in commercial and real estate transactions, corporate governance and compliance, private-public partnerships, real estate default services, collections, loan work-outs, and litigation. Jeff’s current responsibilities include providing counsel to VRH in its administration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Guarantee Program, and serving as counsel and senior recovery manager to a public-private partnership with the FDIC consisting of a $1 billion (GBV) portfolio of non-performing judgments, deficiencies, and charge-offs (“JDCs”).
Mr. Sniderman is licensed to practice law in Ohio, Kentucky, the US District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts, and the District of Colorado.
Prior to joining FLG, Mr. Sniderman was an attorney for two regional law firms where he gained experience representing Fortune 500 companies, political subdivisions, and individuals in litigation, business transactions, first party claims, and general business matters.
University of Rochester, Bachelor of Arts in History, 1991. University of Akron C. Blake McDowell School of Law, Juris Doctorate, 1995
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Peter Chew
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
Peter has over two decades of experience in financial analyses & modeling, accounting, and management. He has served in accounting and financial analysis roles for various firms over his career, and has served with VRG Companies for over 10 years.
Peter is experienced in performing financial analyses, accounting, financial modeling & reporting, and business valuations.
Peter obtained a BA in Accounting and a BA in Economics Management from Ohio Wesleyan University.
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Steve Renaker
VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Steve Renaker is the Vice President of Business Development for VRG Companies. Mr. Renaker leads the Companies in developing domestic and international partnerships with banks, corporations, exporters, and insurers who require asset management, receivership, and debt recovery assistance on commercial obligations.
Prior to VRG, Mr. Renaker served as Vice President and President of various golf management companies, including Golf Enterprises, Shaker Golf, and Tartan Golf and Management. Mr. Renaker oversaw portfolios that included forty public and private facilities, which generated over $30 million dollars in revenue, carried $24 million in expenses, required $5 million in Capital Improvements, and led staffs of up to 500 individuals. Mr. Renaker was successful in instilling a culture of service and principled leadership in these pursuits and developed the management guides “The Nine Impressions of Customer Service” and “Hiring the Right People”. These talents translate to management consulting needs for businesses in receivership or in a workout mode.
Mr. Renaker started his business career in a corporate role as Aftermarket Sales Manager for a Division of Purolator Inc., which generated over $25 million in US sales as well as $10 million internationally.
Steve obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration from Taylor University.
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Vicki Baltzell
ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, COLLECTION MANAGER
Vicki Baltzell is an Assistant Vice President and Collection Manager for VRH, the Asset Recovery division of VRG Companies, and has been with the company for over 11 years. Vicki manages state and local-level collection contracts. Vicki also serves as an asset manager on portfolios containing millions of dollars in distressed commercial and consumer receivables from failed financial institutions within a partnership with the FDIC, along with the distressed receivables from active banks that VRG lists as clients. She also supports the administrative and operations functions of the division, and maintains expertise over consumer collection matters. Vicki also serves as the in-house Private Investigator for VRG in states which she maintains licenses.
Vicki has become a leading investigator and skiptracer for VRG, based on 20 years of experience in collections and investigative research. In addition to her current experience, Vicki has worked in the other fields of collections, including but not limited to medical, returned checks, payday loans, student loans, auto loan deficiencies, defaulted mortgages, nursing home, and funeral home receivables.
Vicki obtained her Certification in Private Investigation from the Stratford Career Institute, and a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology from The Ohio State University.
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Kathy Cleveland Bull
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
In addition to directing Human Resources for the Companies, Kathy provides leadership for multiple and varied efforts related to strategic organizational effectiveness, change management, team effectiveness and talent development initiatives and programs throughout the organization. Her main areas of focus are:
Kathy’s consulting practice, N~Compass Consulting, is internationally-renowned, and provides Value Recovery Group clients the opportunity to benefit organization-wide through personal and professional development keynotes, seminars, and retreats. She consults on successful change strategies, organizational culture, talent development and employee engagement. Her clients include The Social Security Administration, Nationwide, Accenture, Novartis, the US Department of Defense, Westfield Insurance, Marzetti’s, Piedmont Healthcare and more than 50 colleges and universities in the US and Canada.
Kathy obtained a BA in Psychology, an MEd in College Student Development, and an MEd Counseling from Bowling Green State University.
Kathy served her alma mater as Member of the Bowling Green State University Alumni Board of Trustees; Chair of the Arts and Sciences Board of Advocates, and the University Honors Leadership Council. Kathy was honored to deliver the May 2006 Commencement Address at BGSU.
Remembering our Founder
Barry Fromm – May 27, 1950 – October 25, 2018
Barry Fromm drew from his extensive experience as an entrepreneur, and as Chairman and CEO of Value Recovery Group and its portfolio companies. He had a long-standing history of developing public-private partnerships that align the incentives of both parties to produce high-quality results through a documented history of clear communication and highly responsive action in all agency interactions. He developed partnerships with FDIC, the Resolution Trust Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the Ohio Attorney General. His spirit is still a driving force in this company.
Prior to forming Value Recovery Group, Fromm served as corporate counsel for a savings and loan association, and served as a financial institutions management consultant for Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He also served as an asset valuation and asset management contractor to the Resolution Trust Corporation, where he managed a $200 million portfolio of non-performing loans and real estate.
He earned a JD from The University of Akron Blake McDowell School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Butler University.