Russell F. Smith, Managing Principal.   Mr. Smith has more than 30 years of professional experience in all areas of business and executive management.  His background includes:  Chief Operating Officer of United Airlines Services Corporation (the subsidiary of United Airlines that provided services to the Federal Government); Partner in the investment-banking house of Blake, Brunell, Lehmann, and Company; Divisional Chief Operating Officer for OAO Corporation (an international professional-services organization); and President of Associated Trades Corporation (a holding company with subsidiaries in professional services, manufacturing, and retailing in the commercial- and residential-interiors industries).  Mr. Smith is a recognized expert in the professional-services industry.  He has many years of experience in venture capital and has been associated with more than 25 startup ventures.  Mr. Smith has served on numerous boards of directors and is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Finance and Industry.

Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science (cum laude) with majors in Corporate Planning and Policies, Accounting, and Marketing; and a Master of Business Administration with majors in Finance and Operations Research, both from the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Management, University of Maryland.  He has also pursued advanced studies in management and finance at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Jeffrey J. Hoffman, Principal.  Mr. Hoffman has more than 25 years of professional experience in finance and is the Number 1-ranked Wall Street analyst in the health care industry [Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2001, "Best on the Street" (the final year such a comparison was made)].  His background includes:  Managing Director of Smith Barney; Vice Chairman of Quadrex Corporation (NASDAQ-listed professional services and hazardous waste conglomerate); Senior Vice President, Investments, Reliance Insurance Company; and Senior Vice President, Buckingham & Company (a noted Wall Street research firm).  In addition, Mr. Hoffman is the former President of the Wall Street Utilities Group.

Mr. Hoffman holds a Bachelor of Arts with majors in Chemistry and Psychology from Boston University and a Master of Business Administration in Financial Management from Pace University.

Janet Rehnquist, Esq.  Ms. Rehnquist has more than 20 years of professional experience in law and providing strategic advice, regulatory navigation, political advocacy, and compliance solutions for clients in the health care, pharmaceutical, and homeland security industries.  Her background includes: Founder, The Rehnquist Group, PLLC; Partner, Venable, LLP; Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia; Associate Counsel to the President, The White House; Counsel, United States Senate, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; and Litigation Attorney, Baker & Hostetler.

Ms. Rehnquist holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.  In addition, she attended Vanderbilt University, Aix-en-Provence, France.  Finally, she is an active member of the Commonwealth of Virginia and Washington, D.C. Bars and a member of the Board of Advisors, College of Entrepreneurship, Grand Canyon University.

Harley A. J. Methfessel, Esq.  Mr. Methfessel has more than 20 years of professional experience in law, management, marketing, and finance.  His background includes:  Cofounder and Partner of InterFase Capital Managers (a national venture-capital fund); President and Chief Operating Officer, InterBank Capital, Inc. (a national merchant banking house); Executive Vice President, ActionSystems, Inc. (a national software and consulting firm); Principal, So-Deep, Inc. (developed subsurface utility engineering); and Attorney with the law firm of McGuire, Woods, Battle, and Boothe (the largest law firm in the Commonwealth of Virginia).

Mr. Methfessel holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Business Administration from the R.B. Pamplin School of Business (Virginia Polytechnic Institute), and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.  Additionally, he is an active member of the Commonwealth of Virginia Bar.

Robert O. Edmister.  Dr. Edmister has more than 30 years of professional experience in all areas of finance, financial institutions, and banking.  His background includes:  Dean of the College of Business, Bowling Green State University (Ohio); Director of the School of Banking, University of Mississippi; Senior Vice President, National Bank of Detroit; and Special Consultant to the United States Department of the Treasury, the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States, the United States Air Force, the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the American Bankers Association.  Dr. Edmister is a recognized expert in banking and financial institutions.  He has published more than six books, written more than forty articles in various financial publications, and conducted approximately one hundred speeches and television appearances.  In addition, Dr. Edmister created a bank loan simulation used by banks and the American Bankers Association which materially reduces loan losses.  Finally, he was one of the early contributors and developers of credit scoring for small business loans.

Dr. Edmister holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Miami University (Ohio), a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Ohio State University.

Stephen N. Elias.  Mr. Elias has more than 30 years of professional experience in mergers and acquisitions, management, finance, and strategic planning.  His background includes:  Chief Financial Officer for Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC); President, CSC Leasing Division; Senior CPA, Ernst & Young; and Managing Principal, Stephen N. Elias and Associates.  This latter organization specializes in mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and allied services to information technology, engineering and consulting services, venture capital, and high technology companies.  Lastly, Mr. Elias has been an Adjunct Professor of Accounting and Finance at the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Business Administration.

Mr. Elias holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the City College of New York and a Master of Arts from California State University.  Moreover, he is a Certified Public Accountant.

David D. Brunell.   Mr. Brunell has more than 30 years of professional experience in investment banking, venture capital, management consulting, entrepreneurship, and privatization.  His background includes:  Managing Director for the investment-banking firm of Blake, Brunell, Lehmann, and Company (later Kimberly, Brunell, Lehmann, and Company); Senior Advisor relative to privatization for Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Kazakhstan, and Zambia; and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of TransCentury Corporation.  He recently completed divestiture planning for Vietnam's, state-owned enterprises under the Vietnam Divestiture and Privatization Program where he developed plans to attract strategic investors, providing the basis for well-structured transactions.

Mr. Brunell holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

Christian C. Johnson.  Mr. Johnson has more than 20 years of professional experience in investment banking, capital markets, financial services, economic development, corporate governance, privatization, and technology.  His background includes:  Partner, Philippine Index Fund; Vice President, Tiangha Associates (a Philippine consulting firm providing advice and guidance to the Philippine government); Director, Financial Services Group, iXL Enterprises (a 2000-person technology consulting firm); Deputy Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited; Deputy Director, IBM Business Consulting Services; Capital Markets Instructor, Booz Allen Hamilton; Team Leader, BearingPoint, Inc.; Senior Analyst, Mergers and Acquisitions, The Nimrod Group (PRC Conglomerate); Manufacturing and Strategy Consultant, Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA); and Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Nuclear Propulsion Program.  Moreover, Mr. Johnson has been an Adjunct Professor of Business Administration and Finance for more than a dozen graduate schools of business, worldwide.  In addition, he has published more than eight articles in relevant publications and made numerous presentations.  Lastly, Mr. Johnson has completed projects in Russia, China, Spain, Vietnam, Romania, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science in Electric Power Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University, a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the United States Department of Energy Atomic Power Laboratory, and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.  Additionally, he is a Registered Securities Market Representative, a Board Certified Mutual Fund Specialist, and a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor.

Roger J. Houze, III.  Mr. Houze has more than 25 years of professional experience in financial and project management, government contracting, and management information systems in both the commercial and government sectors.  His background includes:  Controller, Unisys Corporation; Senior Manager, Jefferson Wells International (an international management and financial consulting firm); and Deputy Director, OAO Corporation (an international professional-services organization).  Mr. Houze has extensive experience in government contracting and cost accounting.

Mr. Houze holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Texas Christian University, a Bachelor of Science with majors in both Accounting and Business Management from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Management from the University of Michigan.

Steven W. Koinis.  Mr. Koinis has more than 20 years of professional experience in venture capital, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring.  His background includes:  Partner, TII (the premier investment bank of the Persian Gulf region, based in Kuwait); Senior Manager, Abu Dhabi Investment Company (the regional investment-banking arm of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority); Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, Octagon, Inc. (NASDAQ-listed services firm); Director, Acquisitions, BTR Paper Group, Plc.; and Manager, Business Development and Technology Licensing, Owens-Corning Fiberglas, Inc.  Mr. Koinis specializes in technology, telecommunications, and information technology.  Moreover, he has extensive experience in both Europe and the Middle East in addition to the United States and is especially experienced in turnarounds, public market offerings, and leveraged and management buyouts.  Finally, Mr. Koinis is bilingual in English and Arabic.

Mr. Koinis holds Bachelor of Science in both Mechanical Engineering, and Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (cum laude and magna cum laude, respectively) from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

Rodolfo J. Arias.  Mr. Arias has more than 18 years of professional experience in business and executive management.  His background includes:  Partner and Assistant General Manager of Tecnoseguros Insurance; President of the Tropical Island Group (holding various subsidiaries in addition to operating in the import and export market); and Managing Principal of RJAV Consulting, Inc. Mr. Arias' business consulting activities have encompassed all of Central America, in addition to the United States.  In 2004 Mr. Arias was elected to the Central American Parliament.  Finally, Mr. Arias is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Mr. Arias holds a Bachelor of Science (cum laude) with majors in both Business Administration and Marketing from Florida Metropolitan University and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University.

Fernando Catacora.   Mr. Catacora has more than 20 years of professional experience in all areas of accounting, management information systems, and international business.  His background includes:  Consulting Manager, Coopers & Lybrand; Systems Manager, Radio Caracas Television; Senior Auditor, KPMG; and Assistant Professor, Catholic University.  Mr. Catacora has published seven business/finance books and written many articles for various financial publications.  Finally, Mr. Catacora is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Mr. Catacora holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from Catholic University.  Moreover, he is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Accounting Principles Committee, Federation of Public Accountants and a member of the Editorial Board, International Journal of Accounting and Auditing.

Carolyn Morris Ewing.  Ms. Ewing has more than 25 years of professional experience in public relations, communication, and management consulting.  Her background includes:  President of Warren Weil Associates (public relations); President of Morris Reynolds Corporation (public relations); Director of Communications, Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory; President, Behavioral Technology Consultants (providing psychophysiological research to NASA, the Army Research Institute, and the CIA); and Director of Public Information, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Additionally, Ms. Ewing has served on the advisory boards of the National Institute of Mental Health and the Social Educational Research and Development Institute.  Lastly, Ms. Ewing is the author of more than 20 publications in the fields of public relations, communications, and behavioral psychology.

Ms. Ewing holds a Bachelor of English from the University of North Carolina and has completed postgraduate work in cost-benefit analysis and risk management at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Thomas J. Peyton.   Dr. Peyton has more than 30 years of experience in long-range financial planning, budget formulation, and organizational plan execution.  His background includes:  Senior Consultant, Emerald Cross Associates (a financial services consulting house); Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management, the Smithsonian Institution; and Senior Analyst, Internal Revenue Service.  In addition, Dr. Peyton has been a member of the professorial staff at Howard University.

Dr. Peyton holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master of Arts in History from Seton Hall University, in addition to a Doctorate in History from Georgetown University.

Francisco Donato.   Mr. Donato has more than 35 years of professional experience in all areas of accounting, management information systems, and international business.  His background includes:  President and General Manager, APSA (operations and management of all oil storage terminals in Balboa and Cristobal, Panama — the ports at either end of the Panama Canal); Controller, EmKay Group (an international holding company with operations in banking, commodities trading, aircraft leasing, manufacturing, and cocoa); Auditing Manager, Arthur Andersen & Company; Accounting Manager, Touche Ross & Company; and Professor of Advanced Accounting and Auditing, National University of Panama.  Furthermore, Mr. Donato is the Coordinator of Consultants for the Commerce Commission of the Panamanian National Assembly.  Finally, he is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Mr. Donato holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with specializations in Accounting and Finance from the National University of Panama.  Additionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant.

Walton E. Bell, III.   Mr. Bell has more than 35 years of professional experience in all areas of accounting, management information systems, finance, and business.  His background includes:  President and CEO, Sector Technology, Inc. (an expert system software developer specializing in high security, special access government programs); Chief Financial Officer, A.J. Dwoskin & Associates, Inc. (a real estate investment trust and real estate management company); Chief Financial Officer, Boat U.S. (the Boat Owners Association of the United States); and Partner, Arthur Andersen & Company, where he headed the Emerging Growth Company Practice and established the Microcomputer Consulting Group.

Mr. Bell holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Abilene College.  Additionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant.

Thomas J. Hennigan.  Mr. Hennigan has more than 25 years of professional experience in mergers and acquisitions; IPOs; financial operations; operational, financial, and accounting controls; costing analysis; and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system implementations.  His background includes:  Chief Financial Officer for Commonwealth Scientific Corporation (a national high-technology engineering and manufacturing organization); Treasurer and Controller for Jet Industries, Inc. (an international manufacturer of snowmobiles and electric-powered boats and automobiles); Senior Project Manager for Bradford National and OAO Corporation (both international professional-services organizations); Controller for the Winston Group, Inc. (a conglomerate holding company); and Certified Public Accountant with J.K. Lasser & Company.

Mr. Hennigan holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the Robert H. Smith School of Business and Management, University of Maryland.  Additionally, he is a Certified Public Accountant and is active in both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Margitta L. Muhlenberg.  Ms. Muhlenberg has more than 25 years of professional experience in accounting; auditing; financial operations; operational, financial, and accounting controls; and costing analysis.  Her background includes:  Managing Principal, Margitta L. Muhlenberg, Certified Public Accountants, P.C. (a local public accounting firm eventually acquired by a larger regional firm).  Finally, Ms. Muhlenberg is bilingual in English and German.

Ms. Muhlenberg holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from George Mason University.  Additionally, she is a Certified Public Accountant and is active in both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Diane L. Masincup.  Ms. Masincup has more than 23 years of professional experience in public, private, and government accounting.  Her background includes:  Chief Financial Officer for Intelligent Decision Systems, Inc.; Staff Accountant, Smithers & Southerly, Certified Public Accountants; and Staff Auditor, Inspector General of the Treasury.  The foregoing is in addition to Masincup & Company, Certified Public Accountants.  As the managing principal and major stockholder of said firm, she and her staff provided accounting, tax, and management advisory services to business entities.

Ms. Masincup holds a Bachelor of Science (with distinction) in Business Administration from George Mason University.  Moreover, she is a Certified Public Accountant in both Virginia and New Mexico and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Richard P. Whitney.  Mr. Whitney has more than 30 years of professional experience in all areas of venture capital, corporate acquisitions, finance, and executive management.  His background includes:  Managing General Partner, Venture Fund of Washington; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Horizon Communication Corp.; Executive Vice President, Narragansett Capital Corporation (the nation's largest and most successful publicly owned small business investment company); and Vice President of Finance, Overseas Private Investment Corporation.  Additionally, he was:  Assistant to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce; Assistant Treasurer, the Bank of New York; and Associate, Corporate Finance, Shields and Company (a Wall Street investment firm where he personally handled Fisher-Price Toys and Bantam Books).  Mr. Whitney has been associated with numerous startup ventures and public offerings.  Lastly, he has served on various boards of directors.

Mr. Whitney holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University.

Anthony H. Ewing.  Mr. Ewing has more than 30 years of professional experience in executive management, management consulting, congressional relations, government contracting, and disposal of nuclear wastes.  His background includes:  Director, the Committee for Interagency Research and Policy of the Executive Office of the President of the United States; Managing Director, Washington Operations, Oak Ridge Associated Universities; Director, Planning and Issues Management for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs of the U.S. Department of Energy; and Director, Procurement and Contracts Management for both the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (now the U.S. Department of Energy) and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (now the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission).

Mr. Ewing holds a Bachelor of Science with majors in Political Science and Public Administration from Georgetown University.

Francis W. Peri.  Mr. Peri has more than 25 years of professional experience in information technology and telecommunications.  His background includes:  President, Communications Design Corporation (a management and marketing consulting firm); President, Valcomm, Inc. (a telecommunications-consulting firm); and executive positions in manufacturing, marketing, and senior business management at the DuPont Company.  Mr. Peri is widely published in the telecommunications-infrastructure industry where he is an active member of several national standards organizations.

Mr. Peri holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Boston College.

Patricia H. Conklin.  Ms. Conklin has more than 25 years of experience in management, publishing, and fundraising.  Her background includes:  Assistant Director, Alumni Relations, Johns Hopkins University, as well as management positions with The Singer Company; Books for Business, Inc.; University Press of the Pacific, Inc.; Westbrook Development Corporation; OAO Corporation (an international professional-services organization); and the Baltimore Chamber of Commerce.

Ms. Conklin holds a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Maryland and has completed postgraduate studies at Montclair State University.

Patricia A. Kapfer.  Ms. Kapfer has more than 18 years of experience in marketing and securities.  Her background includes:  Business Manager, Promotional Concepts Corporation (a national marketing house); Branch Manager, RAF Financial (a brokerage firm); Operations Chief, Dickinson & Company (a brokerage firm); and Wire Operator, Mantano Securities.  Finally, Ms. Kapfer is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Ms. Kapfer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from George Mason University.

Carl F. Horowitz, Executive Writer and Editor.   Dr. Horowitz has more than 25 years of experience in research, writing, and editing.  His background includes:  Washington Correspondent, Investors Business Daily; Researcher, the Brookings Institution; Policy Specialist, the Heritage Foundation; Research Associate, Rutgers University; and Assistant Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute.  In addition, Dr. Horowitz is listed in Who's Who in Media and Communications.

Dr. Horowitz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Kansas and both a Master and a Doctorate in Policy Development from Rutgers University.

Susan Dean-Burke, Senior Writer.  Ms. Dean-Burke has more than 25 years of writing and editorial experience.  Her background includes:  editorial positions with the National Association of Music Merchants, the American Music Conference, the American Press Institute, and several daily newspapers and television stations.

Ms. Dean-Burke holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Goddard College.

Elizabeth Z. Wertz, Senior Editor.  Ms. Wertz has more than 25 years of writing and editorial experience.  Her background includes:  technical writing and editorial positions with Delmar Publishers, Booz Allen Hamilton, the International Monetary Fund, IBM, and Lockheed Martin.

Ms. Wertz holds a Bachelor of Science with majors in Physics and Government from Harvard University.

Joann M. Wasik, Research Director.  Ms. Wasik has more than 20 years of professional experience in all areas of research.  Her background includes:  Research Manager and Communications Officer, Information Institute of Syracuse; Library Automation Manager, Webster Library, Tufts University; and Librarian, Boston College Law Library.  Additionally, Ms. Wasik is well published in research industry journals and has made numerous notable presentations at various industry symposiums.

Ms. Wasik holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts, both in English, from Boston College, in addition to a Master of Library Science from Syracuse University

Evangeline L. Ruff, Senior Researcher.   Ms. Ruff has more than 25 years of editorial and research experience.  Her background includes:  Vice President of J&L Company (regional developer); Documentation Manager, OAO Corporation (an international professional-services organization); Documentation Manager, Rosapepe, Powers & Spanos (a political consulting firm); Publications Supervisor, Howard University; Publications Supervisor, University of the District of Columbia; and Research Technician, Library of Congress.

Ms. Ruff holds a Bachelor of Arts (summa cum laude) in English from Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia).