Corporate Team:
Stephen Oliver, CEO
Jeff Smith, COO
Bill Schlapman, CFO
Frank Brown, Training Director and Franchise Sales
Runolfo Gonzales, Training and Franchise Support
Mike Bidwell, Training and Franchise Marketing & Curriculum Support
Toby Milroy, Technical and Marketing Training and Support

NAPMA Key Staff
Rob Colasanti, President
Mark Graden, Technical Director
Bob Sillick, Editor
Melissa Gouley, Administration

Stephen Oliver, CEO

Master Stephen Oliver is founder and CEO of Mile High Karate (as well as CEO of Martial Arts Marketing, Inc., DBA NAPMA) He is an 8th Degree Black Belt. He began in Martial Arts training in 1969 with the Jhoon Rhee Institute. He began operating his first school in 1974. Worked as an Instructor then Branch Manager for the Jhoon Rhee Institute in Washington, D.C. while completing an Honors Degree in Economics from Georgetown University. Upon graduating from Georgetown he studied direct response marketing, business management and all aspects of teaching methodology and compiled an extensive martial arts operations business plan then moved to Denver and opened 5 schools in 18 months and grew the Mile High Karate organization to a $1,000,000+ per year business by 1985.

From 1989 to 1999 he as a Board of Directors Member of NASKA and a NASKA World Tour Promoter and their National Sanction Director. He was a Member of the Educational Funding Company Board of Directors from 1985 to 2001. In 1992 he completed an MBA at the University of Denver Executive Program and was invited to be on their Entrepreneurship Board of Advisors. Over 25 years he has consistently been on the leading edge of marketing strategies and management strategies for Martial Arts Schools and has author three books on Martial Arts School Marketing. In 2006 he teamed up with Mentor and Instructor – the Former World Kickboxing Champion Jeff Smith and Launched the Mile High Karate franchise system. In 2007 he acquired the National Association of Professional Martial Artists (NAPMA) along with Martial Arts Professional Magazine.

Many of the practice and business principles he introduced into his schools came from his relentless study of other industries, always looking for ways to improve the way a school should be run. Realizing that he and his team had put together some of the most progressive teaching and student development methods and business systems ever introduced into chiropractic, he began the steps of building a true franchise for other martial artists. Master Oliver launched Mile High Karate franchising nationally in 2006, and in a short time they have become the fastest growing franchise business and opportunity in martial arts today, helping to build many successful and thriving schools all across the country.

Jeff Smith, COO

Grand Master Smith, an 9th Degree Black Belt who devoted over 40 years to the martial arts. He currently serves as COO and Chief Instructor for Mile High Karate schools and travels worldwide officiating at tournaments, teaching and conducting seminars for Mile High Karate.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: Grand Master Smith is best known as the seven-time "World Light Heavy Weight Karate Champion." His title defense against Don King's heavy weight fighter Kareem Allah was seen by over fifty million viewers as a preview before the Ali vs. Frazier World Boxing Title Fight, known as the "Thrilla in Manila." He was coach of the World Champion United States Karate Team and the Junior National Team. He is a member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame, the first recipient of the Bruce Lee Award (selected by Mrs. Bruce Lee and Karate Magazine) and listed in the Who's Who of Martial Arts. Grand Master Smith is one of karate's legends along with Chuch Norris, Bruce Lee, Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Grand Master Smith has made appearances on ABC's "Wide World of Entertainment," "The Champions" TV series, Showtime, ESPN and Pay-Per-View events. He co-starred in a martial arts movie in Korea. He has been on the cover of every major martial arts publication and was selected by Washingtonian Magazine as one of Washington's top athletes.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES: Grand Master Smith is Chief Operations Officer & Chief of Instructor for Mile High Karate. He is responsible for Instructor Training, Black Belt testing & development, as well as on-going curriculum oversight and development.

Grand Master Smith has performed at the White House in the "Kick Drugs Out of Your Life" campaign and again with his students in California for "Drug Abuse is Life Abuse" program. He conducts seminars in public schools for the "Just Say No to Drugs" campaign.

Grand Master Smith also performed for Arnold Schwarzenegger on the White House lawn with his students for the Great American Workout and the President's Council on Physical Fitness. In addition, he conducts seminars both nationally and internationally for other karate schools and karate tournaments. He officiates at major karate tournaments, coaches teams in international competition and has done color commentary for karate events on national television, ESPN and Pay per View events.

William C. Schlapman, CFO

William “Bill” Schlapman is a native of Colorado, married to wife Shari for 31 years, and currently living in Denver. Bill has 2 children, 5 grandchildren and a great grandson. 

Background: Bill has a background in many industries having owned a CPA firm for over 17 years.  During this time, he worked with entrepreneurs and business owners in structuring business transactions and entity formation, assisted with business succession planning, specialized in reorganizing failing businesses that allowed them to become profitable.  He provided assistance to owners and management in business planning, management of operations, financial analysis and planning; His expertise included real estate, personal, and corporate tax planning and preparation.  Bill’s hallmark was his ability to build relationships and become a valued part of the management team of his business clients, and a close personal advisor to his individual clients.  His experience in business includes various industries such as environmental research, construction, auto body and repair, law, medical, real estate, franchise, landscape, furniture, estate auction, and manufacturing.

Bill’s experience and background before starting his own CPA firm includes 4 years Military Service in the United States Air Force, 7 years with Montgomery Wards as an outside collector advancing to Assistant Credit Manager for the Denver Region.  Upon graduation from Colorado University, Bill worked 5 years for the CPA firms of Price Waterhouse and Hamma and Nelson in Denver.  He has also owned his own Real Estate Company, buying and selling real estate for investment purposes, and owned a summons serving business while going to school.

After selling his CPA firm in 1991 Bill was the CFO for a Landscaping Company, screen printing business, and began working with Stephen Oliver and Stephen Oliver’s Mile High Karate as a consultant and ultimately full time as the CFO for MHK.

Education: Attended 1 year at Syracuse University while in the United States Air Force.  Studied Russian Language; learned fluent Russian;
Attended University of Colorado for two years to earn Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting.

Passed Colorado Board of CPA’s exam before finishing degree in 1973.

Frank Brown, Training Director and Franchise Sales

Ranulfo Gonzales, Training and Franchise Support

Ranulfo Gonzalez 26 year martial artist; 5th degree black belt Mile High Karate.

Other rankings include systems of Kihido Karate and KSMA martial arts. Formal education includes me as a graduate from Southwestern Oklahoma State University with two bachelor degrees; one in science and one in education. Formally taught biology, chemistry, honors anatomy and physiology. 

Mike Bidwell, Training and Franchise Marketing & Curriculum Support

Related Work History

Current:  2004 to present
Mile High Karate, South Jefferson
Title:  Head Instructor / Branch Manager

Progressive Martial Arts of Delaware, Inc. D.B.A. Tai-Kai Martial Arts Centers
Newark, Delaware 1995 - 2005
Title:  Head Instructor / Program Director / Owner

Education

· Associates Degree, Criminal Justice 1989
· Curriculum Honor Award for Criminal Justice, Onondaga Community College,
Syracuse New York
· Combat Engineer School, US Army 1990
· Military Police Academy, US Army 1991
· Military Service:  1990 - 1995
· Combat Veteran:  Service in Saudi Arabia “Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm”

Martial Arts Experience

· 28 Years experience in the Martial Arts (1979 - present)
· Black Belt – Tae Kwon Do, Master David Spagnualo
· Black Belt – Kenpo Karate, Master Jeff Sgarlata (Steve Lavallee’s East Coast Karate)
· Black Belt – Japanese Jujutsu, Sensei Scott Schultz
· Certified Instructor / Brown Belt with three stripes – Machado Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,                 Professor  Marcos Santos (1996 - present)

Awards and Honors
· 1998 – Jiu-Jitsu Instructor of the year, World Martial Arts Hall-of-Fame
· Consistently Top Ten billing schools with APS Financial
· Competition Experience:  Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu / Submission Grappling / Point Karate /  Contact Karate
· Published Author:  
     Board Breaker Elite, MA Success Magazine.

Toby Milroy, Technical and Marketing Training and Support