Operations Team
Astrit (Tony) Gorana
Chief Operating Officer
Astrit (Tony) Gorana
Chief Operating Officer
Astrit (Tony) Gorana joined Planned Building Services in 2000. Starting as an Account Executive, he has ascended through the years to Director of Operations, Vice President of Operations and currently Chief Operating Officer. Gorana oversees the operational functions of all divisions throughout the organization, with client satisfaction and relationships at the forefront of his focus.
Gorana, an industry expert, serves as a daily resource and mentor to his team of executive directors. He works with his team to identify and implement process improvements for increased efficiency and effectiveness, conduct property assessments and review contract renewals, and support client relations for maximized communication and understanding of their needs. As a leader who lives and breathes the business, Gorana prioritizes supporting a team culture that passionately delivers superior service.
Committed to sustainability, Gorana also received his LEED AP designation in November 2008 and has been the key driver in launching “Planned Goes Green”, the company’s green movement program.
Prior to Planned Building Services, Gorana started his career in the janitorial and maintenance business as a teenager. He brings his extensive experience and growing knowledge to Planned, consistently introducing and implementing the latest industry innovations. Gorana inspires the team daily with his diligence, integrity and commitment to customer service.
Planned Companies’ Operations Team
Our Operations team is available day or night to ensure our clients’ needs are always satisfied. The Ops team handles oversight and supervision of the field associates.
Each region has a dedicated senior management team, which is identified below.
John Fahmy
Vice President, California
Juan Jose Chaves
Vice President of Sales and Operations South
Safet Palevic
Vice President of Operations NY/CT/Gold Coast of NJ Region
Reuel Williams
Vice President of Sales & Operations, Mid-Atlantic
Steven DePascale
Vice President of Operations, North Jersey & Gold Coast
Marcos Guerrero
Executive Director of Operations, New Jersey Gold Coast
Eleane Genie
Executive Director of Operations – Mid-Atlantic
Ismet (Izzy) Mehmeti
Executive Director of Operations - Northern NJ Region
Albert Kasneci
Vice President of Operations, NY, CT, & MA
Besim Dodiq
Executive Director - North Jersey
Charles Cronk
Executive Director – Southern NJ / Philadelphia Region
Michael Thompson
Executive Director – Virginia/Washington DC Region
John Fahmy
Vice President, California
John Fahmy is the Executive Director of Business Development for the California region. Fahmy started his career with Planned Companies as Executive Director for the New York and Connecticut regions, but due to his expertise in relationship building and retention was relocated to the Mid-Atlantic region for the potential growth opportunities for Planned Companies. His responsibilities include hiring and training new associates, managing client and associate retention, account startups, budgets, and supervising field management. Fahmy’s high energy and business leadership skills contribute to his continued success with PLS and PSS.
Previously, Fahmy gained significant skills and success within the hospitality and telecommunication industries. He began his career while in college as a front desk agent at two of NYC’s top hotels. Later in his career, he was a regional sales manager for one of the largest AT&T resellers. Through this career opportunity, he gained many of the associate retention skills and multi-site management expertise that he has brought to Planned Companies.
Juan Jose Chaves
Vice President of Sales and Operations South
A hospitality and property management veteran, Juan Jose Chaves joined Planned Companies in January 2012 and is responsible for sales and field operations in Atlanta, North Carolina and South Carolina. Prior to joining Planned Companies, Chaves worked in the hospitality industry with White Lodging Services for eight years and Archstone in Maryland and Virginia for more than four years. Originally from Costa Rica, Chaves brings his passion, attention to detail and ability to develop cohesive teams that perform to the high standards of our organization. He received his business degree from The Latin American University of Science and Technology and University of Notre Dame.
Safet Palevic
Vice President of Operations NY/CT/Gold Coast of NJ Region
Safet Palevic joined the Planned Companies team in 2004, where he started as a regional supervisor. Palevic’s dedication and drive enabled him to succeed, climbing the corporate ladder to his current position as Vice President of Operations for New York, Connecticut and the New Jersey Gold Coast regions. He is responsible for managing a team of regional managers and overseeing multiple accounts.
With a main focus on client retention, Palevic directly works with Planned’s corporate departments, such as human resources, sales, payroll, and purchasing to ensure a seamless site start up process for all of his accounts. Additionally, he reviews budgets, holds monthly meetings and keeps his operations team accountable and dedicated to client satisfaction.
Palevic has over 15 years of residential building operations experience.
Reuel Williams
Vice President of Sales & Operations, Mid-Atlantic
Reuel Williams is the Vice President of Operations for the Mid-Atlantic division of Planned Companies. He has been with Planned Companies for more than two years, formerly serving as the Executive Director of Operations for Maryland, Washington DC, and Delaware. Reuel has more than 20 years of experience in the janitorial and facilities services field and is an accomplished senior level corporate professional experienced in managing major facility service projects for corporate, government, industrial, manufacturing and healthcare facilities.
Reuel has worked for General Maintenance Co, Service Force USA, Motir Services, Crystal Enterprises and NSC. In addition to that he has owned and operated his own consulting firm specializing in helping facilities services companies leverage technology to better service their partners. In his various roles Reuel has provided quality leadership and effective communications for 400+ facility personnel and managed over 30 facilities and 5 million sq. ft. daily in DC, MD, VA, and NC. Among some of his career highlights are: managing the custodial contracts for; Reagan National Airport, BMW Manufacturing Plant in South Carolina, The DC Citywide Govt Contract, Central Piedmont Community College, just to name a few. In addition to his work experience Reuel is a graduate of the Darden School of Business at UVA and is a certified floor tech and OSHA trained manager.
Steven DePascale
Vice President of Operations, North Jersey & Gold Coast
As Vice President of Operations, Steven is responsible for overseeing all field operations for the Northern New Jersey portfolio. Not only does he oversee the field operation, he works directly with Planned’s corporate departments, such as human resources, sales, payroll, and purchasing to ensure a seamless site start up process for all of his accounts.
Steven graduated from Seton Hall University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences. Prior to joining Planned, Steven began his career as an Account Executive at The Phoenix Communications Group selling national advertising time and overseeing media needs for the Arena Football League. Steven then completed the Passaic County Police Academy and spent years as a police officer with the Butler Police Department in NJ.
Following his time in law enforcement, he spend years overseeing security needs for a global pharmaceutical company based in North Jersey. In addition to his time in police and security, Steve has attended multiple courses in Executive Protection as well.
Marcos Guerrero
Executive Director of Operations, New Jersey Gold Coast
Marcos Guerrero joined the Planned Companies team in May of 2004, where he started as an Operations Manager, formerly titled Account Executive and then Operations Manager for some time.
Marcos’s exceptional work in his role of Operations Manager enabled him to succeed, climbing the corporate ladder to Executive Director of Operations. Marcos now covers the New Jersey Gold coast, otherwise known as the Hudson Waterfront District, and soon will add uptown Manhattan and Connecticut to his regions as well.
He is responsible for managing a team of Operations Managers and overseeing multiple accounts. With a focus on client retention, Guerrero directly works with Planned’s corporate departments, such as human resources, sales, payroll, and purchasing to ensure a seamless site start up process for all of his accounts, while reporting directly to the Vice President of Operations.
Additionally, he reviews budgets, holds monthly meetings and keeps his operations team accountable and dedicated to client satisfaction. Guerrero now has over 15 years of industry experience.
Prior to working for Planned, Marcos sold mortgages for Ameriquest. He was also involved in a family owned business for a few years before that. Ironically enough, Marcos also worked in the same cleaning company where Astrit Gorana started his career in this industry. First as a porter, truck driver, warehouse helper, warehouse manager and last field manager.
Eleane Genie
Executive Director of Operations – Mid-Atlantic
Eleane Genie joined Planned Companies in 2015 where she started the role as an Executive Director of Operations for Planned Building Services. Eleane, brings 14 years’ experience in the service industry, exceptional customer service, passion and great Leadership. She oversees the janitorial and maintenance operations for the Mid-Atlantic region for Planned Building Services. She is responsible for managing a wide array of properties and handles the oversight and supervision of a team of Operations Managers and field associates. Eleane focuses on client retention, client satisfaction, associate retention, account startups, budgets, and supervising all field management.
Prior to working at Planned Eleane Genie worked at ABM industries as a Marketing Assistant where her responsibilities were supporting the entire Operations Division, generate proposals, pricings and presentations. Eleane served 1 year as a Marketing Assistant before she was promoted to Business Development Manager and for 8 years she was responsible for generating new business and building relationship for the company. At ABM Eleane was the Business Development Manager for Washington DC and Virginia territory.
Ismet (Izzy) Mehmeti
Executive Director of Operations - Northern NJ Region
Ismet (Izzy) Mehmeti has been with Planned since 2002 and is the Planned Building Services Operations Manager for the Northern New Jersey region. He currently supervises a team of regional managers that oversee multiple accounts. In addition to staff management, Mehmeti is responsible for budgeting, quality control, site inspections and works directly with Human Resources for associate hiring and proper on-site placement.
Mehmeti has over 12 years of industry experience with a background in operations and construction.
Albert Kasneci
Vice President of Operations, NY, CT, & MA
Albert began his journey with Planned Companies in February of 2009. He was originally hired as an Operations Manager for our North Jersey region. He was promoted to Executive Director of New York City and Long Island in 2017. He oversees a team of 5 including Liridon (Doni) Salovic, Miri (Gazi) Dabi, Bret Spader, Manny Perez & Adrian Paljevic.
Prior to joining Planned Companies, Albert was involved in several service-based positions including a waiter at a restaurant, carpenter and a foreman.
Besim Dodiq
Executive Director - North Jersey
Besim Dodiq rejoins Planned Companies as an Executive Director for North Jersey continuing his 15-plus year journey delivering exceptional customer service and value-added vendor relationships. Besim reports to Steve DePascale. His team is comprised of Romulo Reynoso, Chrisptin Hulse, Ian Watts and Dino Koleci.
Besim originally started with Planned Companies in February 2008. He began his Planned Journey as an Operations Manager for regions of New Jersey. He was responsible for managing several locations, overseeing that the daily operations were completed accurately and efficiently while also communicating with the clients to help with their needs.
Prior to joining Planned Companies, Besim was a concierge at Brown Harris Stevens for several years.
Charles Cronk
Executive Director – Southern NJ / Philadelphia Region
Charles (Chuck) Cronk is an Executive Director overseeing the South Jersey & Philadelphia territories. He started as an Operations Manager, and was quickly promoted based on his excellent leadership skills and work ethic. His responsibilities include managing and maintaining client and associate retention, new account startups, budgets, and supervising field management. Cronk’s energy, passion, and superior interpersonal and time-management skills contribute to his success in leading a staff of Operation Managers for both PLS and PSS.
Prior to Planned Companies, Cronk gained significant experience and expertise in sales and customer service while working as a trainer and manager within the call center industry. He understands what it takes to help his employees succeed and achieve their full potential.
Michael Thompson
Executive Director – Virginia/Washington DC Region
Michael began his journey with Planned Companies in 2017. He was originally hired as a Concierge for the Mid-Atlantic region and was promoted to Operations Manager in 2018 and Senior Operations Manager in 2019, managing daily operations in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. In addition to daily operations management, Michael oversees client/associate retention, new account startups, and associate/field management. Michael oversees a team of five Operations Managers. Prior to joining Planned Companies, Michael was involved in various service-based positions in food service and hospitality management. Michael worked as the Regional Director at Guardian Service Industries, Inc. from 2020-2021, and opened the Mid-Atlantic region at Guardian while managing daily operations and business development for janitorial and front desk services in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Michael returned to Planned Companies in 2021 as the Executive Director for the Virginia and Washington DC territories.