February 2009 Houston Business Connections Newspaper

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HISTORY

BULLETIN

BUSINESS CONNECTIONSHouston

Published By Aubrey R. Taylor • Serving The Houston Community Since 1998 • Email: [email protected] • SPECIAL 2009 PROMOTIONAL

BUSINESS CONNECTIONSHouston www.peopledoingbusiness.comwww.peopledoingbusiness.com

$1MILLIONThe Lawal Center for Global Trade at TSU, One Step Closer to Reality

he Lawal Center for GlobalTrade in the Jesse H. JonesSchool of Business

at Texas Southern Universitycomes one step closer tobecoming a reality with the first generousinstallment donation of $100,000.00 of a$1 million pledge from alumnus, busi-nessman, Kase Lawal.

The donation is the largest from analumnus in the history of the university.These funds, pledged over a 10-year peri-od, will establish the Lawal Center for

Global Trade through an endowmentwhich will attract renowned faculty and

provide endowed scholar-ships to attract talented stu-dents. The Centers name is

expected to be officially approved by theTexas Southern University Board ofRegents at their meeting this month.

“One of the proudest moments in thelife of any university, is when one of its

CORPORATE GOODWILL: Glenn Lewis, Board Chair, Texas SouthernUniversity, Kase Lawal, President and CEO of CAMAC, Dr. JosephBoyd, Dean of the Texas Southern University School of Business, andDr. John Rudley, President of Texas Southern University.

The Lawal Center for Global Trade WillFacilitate, Train Students, BusinessExecutives, Entrepreneurs, In DevelopingInnovative Initiatives in Global Trade

HOUSTON

See $1MILLION on page, P.4

Gov. Perry requestscontinued appropriationsfor Texas Enterprise Fund

SEGUIN - Gov. Rick Perry recently urged theTexas Legislature to continue appropriatingfunds to the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) thissession, citing investments in companies suchas Caterpillar that have created thousands ofjobs for Texans and attracted millions of dol-

lars in capital investment. The governor spokeat the groundbreaking for Caterpillar's manu-facturing facility in Seguin.

“In these uncertain economic times, com-panies across the country are looking to Texasas the place to grow their business thanks to areasonable regulatory environment, educatedworkforce, and economic incentives that bol-ster Texas’ capital and competition in a global

Caterpillar Breaks Ground onManufacturing Facility in Seguin

CATERPILLAR on page, P.24

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RNC ElectsFirst BlackChairman

Former LieutenantGovernor Michael Steelehas won his bid tobecome the first African-American Chairman ofthe Republican NationalCommittee.

Steele was clear in his reason for run-ning by saying, “the Republican Party mustpresent a vision for the future of America

that relies on ourconservative valuesand core principles.It is wrong tobelieve the votershave suddenlybecome liberal.They have just lostany sense of confi-dence that theRepublican Partyholds the answers to

their problems. We must face the fact thatour party has failed in recent years to liveup to our own principles — we have failedto be ‘solutions oriented’ in addressing theconcerns of all Americans.”

Steele made his decision to run lastyear but delayed his public announcementuntil November of last year so that he couldcall as many RNC members as possible topersonally discuss the future of theRepublican Party and to seek their support.

Steele worked the phones for days inan attempt to reach the leadership of theRepublican Party he said.

He believes the future of the Party lieswith the states and wanted to set the tonefrom the outset that he will place an empha-sis on the members of the Committee tobegin rebuilding.

“Having been a member of theRNC, as state chairman of the MDRepublican Party from 2000 to 2002, as aCounty Chairman from 1994 to 2000; Iknow first-hand the RNC must truly berun as a federation of state parties inorder to be effective.”

“I believe the leadership of our partymust come from its grassroots because themembers of the RNC are the best represen-tation of what direction our party needs totake. The state chairmen, national commit-teewomen, and national committeemen arethe party leaders who are closest to the vot-

STEELE

HOUSTON BUSINESS CONNECTIONS REPORTS

See STEELE on page, P.9

Astoundry Named the BestPlace to Work in Texas

HOUSTON —Astoundry was namedthe Best Place to Work in Texas

by The Texas Association ofBusiness, the Texas State

Council of the Society forHuman Resource Management,

and Best Companies Group. PAGE,8

e are pleased to welcome Jim Johnson, thefounder of Better Marketing Concepts, L.L.C.aboard to help us position our products and serv-ices to compete on both the national and interna-

tional stages. You can read more about this on PAGE, 13.I thank you for reading and supporting our publication.

Aubrey R. Taylor, Publisher Houston Business Connections Newspaper

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ENTREPRENEURS CREDOI do not choose to be a Common manIt is my right to be UNCOMMON...If I canI seek Opportunity - not SecurityI do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulledby having the state look after me.I want to take the “Calculated Risk” toDream and to Build,to fail and to SUCCEED.I refuse to barter incentive for a dole.I prefer the challenges of Life to the“Guaranteed existence”,the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of Utopia.I will not trade FREEDOM for Beneficencenor my dignity for a handout.I will never cower before any master norbend to any threat.It is my heritage to stand erect,proud and unafraid,to think and act for myself,to enjoy the benefit of “MY CREATIONS” and to face the world boldly and say:“This with God’s help, I have done. All this is what it means to be a ENTREPRENEUR”

Houston Business Connections Newspaper is published byAUBREY R. TAYLOR. All right reserved. No articles may be copied,rewritten, published, or otherwise distributed without the prior writ-ten approval of the publisher. For special requests please call:832.783.1113 or call the publisher directly at: 832.212.8735.

Knight Foundation Awards $5Million to Help Create Better-Informed Communities

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation hasannounced grants totaling $5 million tosupport twenty-one innovative ideas

intended to helpresidents intwenty commu-nities nationwidelead more informed lives.

The grants, which range from$41,250 to $500,000, are the firstawarded through the KnightCommunity Information Challenge, a

five-year, $24 million initiative designed to help commu-nity foundations support creative uses of new media andtechnology tools to keep communities engaged. In ParkCity, Utah, for example, a community deeply concernedabout global warming, a new Web site will enable resi-dents to track their carbon footprint and exchange con-servation ideas, while researchers in Boulder, Colorado,will use new media to engage 18- to 30-year-olds whohaven't attended college in civic issues.

“At Knight Foundation, we firmly believe that youcannot effectively manage the affairs of a community ina democracy without the free flow of information,” saidKnight Foundation president and CEO Alberto Ibargüen.“That’s why we believe that information is a core com-munity need, as critical as any to a healthy community.Community foundations were established to meet corecommunity needs, so they are logical partners.”

WHO Receives $9.7 MillionFrom Gates Foundation toResearch Medicines forChildren

The World Health Organization has announced a$9.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation in support of its efforts to increase the num-ber of child-size medicines designed and formulatedspecifically for children.

Working with UNICEF, WHO will use the grant todetermine optimum dosage forms for pediatric medi-cines; develop dosing guides; and create guidelines for

the testing, treatment, and use ofmedicines in children, includingguidelines related to the conduct ofclinical trials involving children. Theresearch will build on the WHO-ledMake Medicines Child Size initia-tive, which was launched in 2007 tohelp improve access

to better medicines for children.More than 50 percent of medi-

cines currently prescribed for chil-dren either have not been developedspecifically for children or have notbeen proven to be effective and safe for their use. As aresult, many children lack access to essential treatmentsbecause no suitable pediatric dosage or formulation ofthe necessary medicine exists, while those that do existare not available or are too expensive.

“We must take the guess work out of medicines forchildren,” said WHO assistant director-general CarissaEtienne. “Children are suffering and dying from dis-eases we can treat, and yet we lack the critical evidenceneeded to deliver appropriate, effective, affordablemedicines that might save them.”

Jewish Funders NetworkEstablishes Fund to HelpNonprofits Harmed by MadoffScheme

The New York City-based Jewish FundersNetwork has announced the launch of a $5 million fundto assist nonprofits harmed by Bernard Madoff’salleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme.

Created through a collaboration of JFN members,the Crisis Loan Fund will provide bridge financing andinterest subsidies to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits facingbudget shortfalls caused by the scheme and made worseby the current credit crisis. Loans of $100,000 to$300,000 will be distributed to cover operating and pro-gram costs based on several criteria, including the strate-gic impact of the loan on the organization or its programs

and the organization’s ability to re-pay the loan.In addition, JFN has established a Pro Bono

Resource Bank, which will provide nonprofits strug-gling in the economic downturn with managerial, legal,accounting, development, and other resources from JFNmembers and other groups.

“The Crisis Loan Fund represents an immediatefirst step to aid nonprofits who are already scramblingto meet increased demand with rapidly diminishedresources,” said JFN president Mark Charendoff. “It’sour hope that philanthropists will join with JFN to con-tinue to meet the demand in the months to come.”

Bank of America CharitableFoundation Commits $20Million to NeighborhoodExcellence Initiative

he Bank of America Charitable Foundationhas announced that it will allocate $20 millionin 2009 to its signature NeighborhoodExcellence Initiative (NEI).

Now in its sixth year, the initiative recognizes,nurtures, and rewards people and organizations workingto strengthen and revitalize their communities in forty-five of the bank's largest markets. Much of the fundingis unrestricted, enabling organizations to use the awardsfor operating expenses and capacity building while con-tributing to a region’s economic vitality. Local bank andcommunity leaders identify organizations in each com-munity that are best positioned to address the mostpressing issues in that community.

Organizations receive support through three pro-grams within the initiative. Neighborhood Builders pro-vides $200,000 in unrestricted funding as well as lead-ership training for the executive director and an emerg-ing leader from each of two local nonprofits. LocalHeroes recognizes five community leaders with a$5,000 contribution to a nonprofit of the recipient’schoice. And Student Leaders providesfive high school students with a paideight-week summer internship at acommunity-based organization andthe opportunity to attend a studentleadership summit.

“Leadership in our communitiesis more critical than it has ever been,” saidAndrew D. Plepler, president of the Bank of AmericaCharitable Foundation. “As nonprofits wrestle withgreater challenges and fewer resources, this programhelps reinvigorate local economies, a key factor inaddressing the current global crisis.”

Bush Foundation Awards $1.5Million for Infant, ToddlerDevelopment Program

The Minnesota Community Foundation hasannounced a $1.5 million grant from the Saint Paul-based Bush Foundation to develop grants and systemsthat support early childhood development in Minnesota,North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Former Bush Foundation program officer JaneFruehling Kretzmann has joined MCF to implement theprogram. Responsible for early childhood developmentgrantmaking in her previous position, Kretzmann willwork with colleagues at MCF and the Saint PaulFoundation, whose Words Work! early literacy programhas helped close the achievement gap for 9,500 pre-school children through Head Start programs andbecome a model for literacy development in Minnesota.

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E-INTERVIEW SPOTLIGHT: CONGRESSMAN PETE OLSON REPRESENTS THE 22ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT WHICH COVERS PARTS OF BRAZORIA, FORTBEND, GALVESTON, HARRIS AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES. HE LIVES IN SUGAR LAND, TEXAS, WITH HIS WIFE NANCY AND CHILDREN KATE AND GRANT AND DOG RILEY.

TAYLOR: How important is good leader-ship during times of crisis? OLSON: Leadershipand character are the two most important qualitiesfor elected officials to possess in a crisis. These twoqualities determine if someone will rise to the occa-sion, create a sense of teamwork and urgency andmove the process along toward an appropriate solu-tion. In Congress, we need more people who will besteadfast, keep their word and their principles andwork toward the best result for the American peo-ple, and not for a given party.

TAYLOR: Do you consider yourself to be a

leader? If so, in what way? OLSON:

Throughout my career - in the Navy, at thePentagon and on Senate staffs - I have workedwith others to move ahead. As an aviator, I wasresponsible for the lives of my crew. At thePentagon, with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, our deci-sions impacted the lives of thousands of troopsaround the world. Working in the Senate, I under-stood that I worked for the people of Texas - andthat their concerns were primary. As Chief ofStaff, I was responsible for mentoring and leadingpeople and coordinating with other offices toachieve our goals. In this time, I made sure thatwe were able to inspire people to perform to thebest of their abilities for the greater good.-------------------------------------------------------------We Wish You Well Mr. Congressman!WWW.PEOPLEDOINGBUSINESS.COM

Q&A on Leadership

Galveston’sHarbor HouseReopensFollowingHurricane IkeClosure GALVESTON — Harbor House,Galveston’s only harbor view hotellocated at Pier 21 has reopened. Thehotel sustained minor flooding to itsfirst floor check-in area fromHurricane Ike which struck Galvestonon Sept. 13, 2008. Elevator servicewill be reinstated in mid-April 2009.Harbor House room rates range from$89 to $149 and include complimen-tary continental breakfast.

This fine hotel offers 42 spa-cious rooms including three suites.All rooms feature a sitting area,refrigerator, microwave, free high-speed Internet access and Wi-Fi.Complimentary continental breakfastis served daily on the second floor ofthe hotel. Harbor House guests alsoenjoy signing privileges at the HotelGalvez and The Tremont House. TheHotel Galvez reopened Oct. 15 andThe Tremont House is anticipated toreopen in May 2009.

The nine boat slips adjacent tothe hotel were damaged and arebeing repaired. Olympia Restaurantat Pier 21, located on the harbor sideof the hotel, now is tentatively sched-uled to open in May or June 2009.And will feature a Greek influencedmenu, outdoor and private dining andlive entertainment on weekends oncereopened. The restaurant also willoffer European wines and fare, a fullbar and room service meals forHarbor House guests.

“We are proud to add HarborHouse to the list of hotels open to thepublic,” says Area Director ofOperations Steve Wisner. “HarborHouse offers a unique location on theharbor near the cruise ship terminaland adjacent to the 1877 Tall ShipElissa and Ocean Star Offshore Oil Rig& Museum, with convenient access toseveral harborfront restaurants.”

Cruises departing fromGalveston resumed November 1.Currently, three cruise ships utilizeGalveston as its home port. CarnivalEcstasy offers four-and five-day cruis-es to the Mexican coast and CarnivalConquest offers seven-day cruises toMexico, Jamaica and Grand Carman.Royal Caribbean International'sVoyager of the Seas offers seven-daycruises to Cozumel, Grand Cayman,Jamaica and Key West through April2009. Harbor House and Hotel Galvezare the preferred pre- and post-cruisehotels for both Carnival and RoyalCaribbean Cruise Lines.

Harbor House is owned byGalveston preservationists Cynthiaand George Mitchell and is part ofMitchell Historic Properties. Forroom reservations, call (409) 763-3321. — (Vocus/PRWEB)


Democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequal alike. — Plato

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graduates not only achieves suc-cess, but when that alumnus shareshis or her success with others,”stated TSU's President Dr. JohnRudley about the donation.

Rudley continued, “This giftestablishes the Lawal Center forGlobal Trade in our Jesse H. JonesSchool of Business providingscholarships for students in inter-national business and programmingto support both the academic andbusiness communities. This proudmoment has occurred because Dr.Lawal and his family are committedto the mission of Texas SouthernUniversity and to giving back toHouston and to the internationalcommunity through education.”

“The business world is a muchmore competitive place today thanit was when I graduated fromTexas Southern University threedecades ago,” Dr. Kase Lawal said.“In order for students to exceedtoday's challenges they must first beexposed to state-of-the-art program-ming.” Dr. Lawal continued, “It ismy hope and that of my wife that thisacademic endowment will enablestudents to succeed across bound-aries and provide business leadershipin this new global economy.”

Lawal, a native Nigerian, whoearned his B.A. in chemistry fromTexas Southern University, ischairman and chief executive offi-cer of CAMAC InternationalCorporation. CAMAC was namedthe 2006 Company of the Year byBlack Enterprise Magazine and hasbeen ranked on the Forbes 400 list

of the largest privately ownedcompanies in the United States.

Today, CAMAC is an internation-al oil exploration, production andtrading company with offices inAfrica, Europe, North Americaand South America. Twenty-two years after its founding,CAMAC International is val-ued at nearly $2 billion.

Lawal started CAMAC in 1986as an international trade operation.Over the years, he refined hisenterprise to focus on the oil andgas industry. Today, CAMAC hasexpanded into the energy trading,engineering and consulting industries.

Appreciative of the support ofDr. Lawal, Rudley concluded, “Onbehalf of Texas Southern’s stu-dents, faculty, staff and alumni,and our countless friends and sup-porters, we gratefully accept thisgenerous commitment and offerour heartfelt thanks to the Lawalfamily for helping Texas SouthernUniversity develop innovativeminds and thoughtful leaders whowill define our country’s future.”

$1Millioncontinued from P.1

ONE STEP CLOSER: The Lawal Center for Global Trade in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University comes one stepcloser to becoming a reality with the first generous installment donation of $100,000.00 of a $1 million pledge from alumnus, businessman, KaseLawal. Top Left: Kase Lawal takes time to pose for a photo with a TSU student who happens to be a big fan of his. Bottom Left: Lawal is talkingto a group of gentlemen before the event got started. Right: Lawal shares a moment with Port of Houston Authority Chairman James T. Edmonds.

“One of theproudest momentsin the life of anyuniversity, is whenone of its gradu-ates not onlyachieves success,but when thatalumnus shareshis or her successwith others.”– TSU President Dr. John Rudley



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OPINION PROVIDED BY ZOGBY INTERNATIONAL

By John Zogby

The challenges facing BarackObama are daunting on mul-tiple fronts. If he succeeds aspresident, considering thescope of problems and thepublic mood, it gives him theopportunity to achievegreater popularity and even aprominent place in history.

On the one hand, expectations for him arevery high. His inspiring speeches and the ideal-istic movement that propelled his campaign seta high bar for his actions, at least among opin-ion makers and the Republican opposition.

Our most recent polling at ZogbyInternational, however, reveals a state of affairsthat could give Obama room to move forwardwith merely reasonable expectations and, as aresult, greater chances for success.

Obama begins his first term well-likedand respected for his abilities. Our interactivepoll of 3,498 voters, conducted from Jan. 6 toJan. 8, 2009, found 60% rated Obama favor-ably. Other presidents have had higher ratings,but this is still very good, considering Obama

received just 53% of the popular vote. Fifty-eight percent of respondents also give positivescores to his performance during the transition.

Confidence in his ability to handle theeconomy, health care, foreign affairs and theenvironment all rated better than 55%. There isa bit more skepticism about Obama and taxes,with 50% expressing confidence.

Here’s the backdrop: When we asked vot-ers about their personal financial situations andthat of the nation, we found alarming signs ofpessimism. Twenty-two percent feel job inse-curity; 20% say their personal financial situa-tion is poor; 42% have little or no confidencetheir children will have a better life than theyhad; 75% call the nation’s economic policy per-formance poor and 70% say the nation is head-ed in the wrong direction.

Given the depth of Americans’ gloom,perhaps it’s not a surprise that voters aren’texpecting Obama to produce a fast turnaround.Our poll found that just 35% believe Obamawill be able to move the nation out of recession.More immediately, when asked about Obama’sfirst year in office, only 12% expect the econo-my to grow, while 50% anticipate a continueddecline at a slower rate. The rest expect nochange. In terms of their own financial situa-tions in 2009, 20% expect to be worse off,while 49% anticipate their personal economicsituation will remain the same. Twenty-fourpercent believe they will be better off in the

coming year.With that playing-field in mind, Obama

should consider his first term as a series of six-month leases – ones that will earn renewal withactions that show progress. This is a must,especially when it comes to neutralizing oppo-sition from Republicans (and even, as we’vealready seen, from some Democrats).

On multiple levels, Obama’s model isFranklin D. Roosevelt, who took office duringthe Great Depression. Roosevelt successfullyfollowed a philosophy of relief, recovery andreform. Relief began then--and will begin againnow—with a government-funded stimuluspackage, which Obama has established as hisfirst priority. Roosevelt’s New Deal stopped thenegative flow of economic perceptions andrealities. Recovery will hopefully come, forboth Obama and the nation, as those publicprojects translate into personal wellbeing forAmericans.

Reform is needed in many areas, butObama should consider holding off for at leastsix months before diving into the urgent issuesof health care and finance regulation. After all,polling evidence indicates voters aren't expect-ing instant gratification.

For all of these measures to succeed,Obama and Congress must cooperate. Ourmost recent ratings of Congress show its favor-ability is down to a paltry 4%. It is so importantto restore public faith in both Congress and

other governmental institutions. Otherwise, weface the threat of a self-fulfilling prophecy: Ourgovernment can’t do anything right, and there-fore it will continue to fail.

I’m certainly not lowering the expecta-tions heaped upon Obama by saying that hisskill-set is uniquely suited to both working withCongress and restoring people's faith in gov-ernment. He has adeptly framed himself as lesspartisan than other politicians, and his speakingskills can inspire Americans as well as allow himto talk over the opposition and directly to them.

Our polling over many years on presidentialgreatness has consistently found FDR at thetop. Clearly, crisis brings opportunity. (Wehope, of course, that Obama and the nationwon’t see international crises anywhere nearthe scope of World War II.) The problemsObama faces today are probably the greatestsince FDR took the oath in 1932. As the firstAfrican-American elected president, Obama hasalready made history. Given the circumstancesof public opinion and what is at stake, theObama presidency will certainly make more.-------------------------------------------------------

John Zogby is president and CEO of ZogbyInternational and the author of The Way We'llBe: The Zogby Report on the Transformationof the American Dream. This is the firstinstallment of his new weekly column forForbes.com where it was initially published.

With Crisis Comes OpportunityObama, FDR and ratings of presidential greatness

A DANCE WITH THE PRESIDENT & FIRST LADY: President Barack Obama dances with U.S. Army Sgt. Margaret H. Herrera while first lady Michelle Obama shares a dance withU.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Elidio Guillen at the Commander in Chief's Ball at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2009.

DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

HISTORY



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Astoundry isnamed the BestPlace to Work inTexas by The TexasAssociation ofBusiness, the TexasState Council of theSociety for HumanResourceManagement, andBest CompaniesGroup.

HOUSTON — Astoundry, aleading full service informationtechnology consulting company,has announced the company isnumber one in the small businesscategory on 100 Top Places toWork for in Texas list. The fourthannual 100 Best Places to Workprogram recognizes the bestemployers in the state, the oneswho make it a priority to createbetter workplaces for theiremployees.

Astoundry, who placed sec-ond in last year’s competition,earned this year’s top honors for itshumorous approach to employeerecognition with the annual“Cheesy Employee” awards, itsgenerous profit sharing andemployee ownership, and thebonuses the company provides forteams and individuals upon thesuccessful completion of projects.Other distinguishing programsinclude constant mentoring andemployee growth plans, freebabysitting for company events,

time off for charity work, andAstoundry’s willingness to flyemployee’s families to companyevents.

“We feel privileged to top thelist of the Best Places to Work inTexas,” said Kevin Hanratty,President and Chief Service Officerof Astoundry. “Providing exception-al service to our clients is the foun-dation of Astoundry as this dedica-tion to our clientsstarts with an equaldedication to ouremployees and our community.Being named to the top of the listsimply supports this dedication”

The Best Places to Work for inTexas list is selected by The TexasAssociation of Business, the TexasState Council of the Society for

Human Resource Management, andBest Companies Group and based ona two-part survey which comprisesan in-depth look at the company'spolicies and procedures and an in-depth survey of the employees.

The list is comprised of 100companies split into three cate-gories: 32 small-sized companies(25-74 employees), 32 medium-sized companies (75-249 employ-

ees) and 30 large-sized companies (250and more employees).

The rankings are in the February2009 issue of TEXAS MONTHLYand the ranked companies were rec-ognized recently at a gala awardsluncheon held on January 28th inAustin, where Governor Rick Perrywas the keynote speaker.


If liberty and equality are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost. — Aristotle

TEXAS

SPOTLIGHT 2009 PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS SERIES

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Astoundry Named the BestPlace to Work in Texas

THE CHIEF: Kevin Hanratty is President and Chief ServiceOfficer of Astoundry. For more information on Astoundry pleasevisit them on the worldwide web at: www.astoundry.com

TWC ChairmanPauken Respondsto DecreasingTexas RevenueEstimates

AUSTIN — Texas WorkforceCommission (TWC) ChairmanTom Pauken renewed his calls forspending restraint in light of theBiennial Revenue Estimate for2010-2011 released by TexasComptroller Susan Combs recently.

“What we need to do duringthe tense months that loom aheadis scrutinize the budget with evengreater care than usual, makingabsolutely certain that what wedecide to spend our Texas taxpay-ers' hard earned dollars on is trulyworth the cost,” said TWCChairman Pauken.

According to the Comptroller'sreport, Texas can expect to have$77.1 billion available for general-purpose spending during the 2010-11 biennium. This represents a10.5 percent decrease from the cor-responding amount of funds avail-able for 2008-09.

“Our present economic stormwill blow over in time - far moreslowly than Hurricane Ike but justas surely, so long as our nationalgovernment doesn't continue tomake things worse,” said Pauken.

DR. AKILI & MONICA GRAHAM



Bruce Carlton,the president of theNational IndustrialTransportationLeague, and JorgeCanavati, the vicepresident of theMexico BusinessAssociation of SanAntonio, wereamong dozens oftop transportationand trade experts toattend and speak atthe First AnnualHarris CountyInternational Trade& TransportationConference inHouston.

HOUSTON — Harris CountyJudge Ed Emmett organized theevent to address current events intrade and transportation, with aspecial focus on U.S./Mexicotrade. The conference was origi-nally planned for September, but

was canceled in response toHurricane Ike.

According to Judge Emmett:The conference was designed to beunusually detailed, bringing togeth-er some of the mostimportant participantsin local, national andinternational trans-portation and trade. Many of thosewho attended the conference willbe deciding the future of transporta-tion in Washington, Austin,Houston and Mexico City and pro-vided a glimpse into some of thechanges we can expect.

The conference began with anearly evening reception. And alsohad seminars focusing on chal-lenges facing international trans-

portation, how politics affects inter-national transportation and a dis-cussion of U.S.-Mexican trade.

In addition to Emmett,Carlton and Canavati, guest speak-

ers included: JeffMoseley, the presi-dent and CEO of theGreater Houston

Partnership; Jim Edmonds, thechairman of the Port of HoustonAuthority; Richard Vacar, thedirector of aviation for theHouston Airport System; RobertVoltmann, the president and CEOo f t h e T r a n s p o r t a t i o nIntermediaries Association; andnumerous corporate officials rep-resenting dozens of Mexican trans-portation companies.

SPOTLIGHT JUDGE ED EMMETT DOING BUSINESS

Harris County Plays Host to First Annual Major Trade,Transportation Conference

TEXAS

THE ORGANIZER: Harris County Judge Ed Emmettorganized the conference to address current eventsin trade and transportation, with a special focus onU.S. and Mexico trade.

ers — they know what the voterswant — they talk to them everyday.I have walked a mile in their shoes;without them you become out oftouch with the issues that areimportant to Main StreetAmericans.”

“I want Republicans to getback to winning elections, not justfor the sake of winning, but for thesake of our Country’s future. MostAmericans today see a RepublicanParty that defines itself by what it isagainst rather than what it is for. Wecan tell you why public schoolsaren’t working, but not articulate acompelling vision for how we’llbetter educate children. We’re wellequipped to rail against tax increas-es; but can’t begin to explain howwe’ll help the poor. The success ofour Party's resurgence will comefrom the states - from our localleaders and from our Governors.”

We must articulate a positivevision for America’s future thatspeaks to Americans’ hopes, con-cerns and needs. It’s time to stopdefining ourselves by what we arenot, and tell voters what we believe,how we’ll lead, and where we’llgo…how we Republicans will makeAmerica better … how we’ll maketheir families more prosperous,their children better educated, theirparents more secure, and all of ushealthier, safer, and stronger. Thatmeans we must articulate our visionin the local public square, on TV,on Radio, in the local newspapers,on the internet. With God’s helpand the guidance of the men andwomen who give strength to ourRepublican National Committee, Iam prepared to do just that.”

Steelecontinued from P.1

PPPalm prints are

taken from thescene of a diffusedroadside bomb inIraq. Later, an indi-vidual entering aNew York airport isarrested on an unre-lated charge. A fullset of prints are takenduring the bookingprocess and submit-ted to our NextGenerationIdentification (NGI)system. A positive IDconnects the man tothe roadside bomb.

A ski mask-wearing bank robberleaves with his loot, and witnesses tellpolice they noticed a red skull tattooon his hand. A search of NGI’sInterstate Photo System for a red skulltattoo provides a potential candidatelist that could ultimately lead to theidentification of the bank robber.

Both cases are hypothetical, butin the not-too-distant future thesescenarios could reallyhappen…thanks to the ongoingdevelopment of the Next GenerationIdentification system—a logical evo-lution of our current IntegratedAutomated Fingerprint IdentificationSystem (IAFIS).

That evolution will include notonly enhanced fingerprint capabili-ties but also other forms of biometricidentification like palm prints, irisscans, facial imaging, scars, marks,and tattoos-in one searchable system.

Next Generation Identification is…

A state-of-the-art identificationsystem that will be “bigger, faster,and better” than IAFIS, saysAssistant Director Tom Bush of ourCriminal Justice InformationServices Division.

“Bigger” because it willincrease the capacity of our finger-print storage plus house multimodalbiometrics records like palm printsand iris scans…and still have roomto accommodate future biometrictechnologies (i.e., voice, gait, etc.) asthey become available and provereliable.

“Faster” because it will speedup response time for high prioritycriminal ten-print submissions fromtwo hours to about 10 minutes on

average. There will also be a specialcategory called the “Repository ofIndividuals of Special Concern” con-taining records of known or suspect-ed terrorists, wanted persons, andsexual offender registry names.

These records can be quicklysearched to help law enforcementin the U.S. and American soldiersin places like Iraq and Afghanistanassess the level of threat duringan encounter.

“Better” because going beyondfingerprints as biometric identifierswill enhance the investigative andidentification processes. For exam-ple, adding palm prints makes sense:some of the latent prints left behind

by criminals at crime scenes arepalm prints. NGI is also being devel-oped to be compatible with other



1 8 3 4 S o u t h m o r e , H o u s t o n , T e x a s 7 7 0 0 4 I T e l e p h o n e : 7 1 3 - 9 4 2 - 8 9 2 0

Hours of Operation: The Museum opens and conducts tours Monday thru Friday from 10:00a.m.to 5:00p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. the Museum is closed on Sundays.

www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com

SPOTLIGHT THE NEXT GENERATION OF IDENTIFICATION

BEYOND— Our New Identification System —

continued on page, P.11

State of TexasRepresentative DwayneBohac (R-Houston)has announced thatconstruction is nowcomplete on theBrickhouse Gullystormwater detentionbasin. The project wascompleted ahead ofschedule according toHarris County FloodControl Districtspokeswoman HeatherSaucier.

“Great credit goes to the HarrisCounty Flood Control District forhelping folks in the Oak Forest andMangum Manor subdivisions withvery serious flooding issues relatedto Brickhouse Gulley,” Bohac said.“As Ike reminded us, we must con-tinue to upgrade our infrastructure sothat we are not left under water.”

Although only 75% completein early September, the basin per-formed well during Hurricane Ike.The basin funneled and stored closeto 36 million gallons of stormwaterthat otherwise would have over-

flowed from White Oak Bayou.Whi l e Ike t empora r i ly

delayed construction on thebasin, work resumed, and the $2million project was completed inlate 2008.

Bohac reported that once theturf has been estab-lished (approximate-ly nine to 12 monthsafter construction has been com-pleted), the District will plant treesat the site as part of its vegetationmanagement program.

The District also welcomes part-nerships with other government orprivate entities to establish park fea-tures and trails on project sites, includ-ing the Brickhouse detention basin.

Brickhouse Gully begins inthe Spring Branch area and extends

from Gessner andClay roads, runs eastbetween Clay (43rd

Street) and Kempwood (34thStreet) and intersects White OakBayou near Watonga in the OakForest community.



SPOTLIGHT 2009 PEOPLE DOING BUSINESS SERIES CALL 832.212.8735 TO HAVE YOUR INFORMATION PUBLISHED IN THIS PUBLICATION!

207 GRAY STREET • HOUSTON, TEXAS 77002 • 713.659.1608 • WWW.THISISITHOUSTON.COM

CATERING • 281.852.5666 HOURS • MONDAY-SATURDAY 11:00A.M. - 8:00 P.M. • SUNDAY 11:00 A.M. -6:00 P.M.

BREAKFAST • SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS 6:30 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.

BeyondFingerprintscontinued from P.10

Rep. Bohac pleased toreport Brickhouse GullyBasin is Complete

TEXASCOMMITTED TO DISTRICT 138: State Representative HouseDistrict 138 Dwayne Bohac believes that one of his biggestresponsibilities is improving our local quality of life. The conclu-sion of this project is an extension of that commitment.

U.S. biometric systems and potential-ly with those of some foreign partners.

Next GenerationIdentification is not…

A tool to expand the categoriesof individuals from who the finger-prints and biometric data may be col-lected, nor will it change existinglegal authorities.

It doesn’t threaten individual pri-vacy. As required with any federal sys-tem, the FBI is doing Privacy ImpactAssessments on what information willbe collected, how it will be shared, howit will be accessed, and how the datawill be securely stored…all in an effortto protect privacy.

NGI is not strictly an FBI sys-tem. It’s a joint effort and is beingdeveloped in full collaboration withits primary users-our local, state, andfederal partners…in particular theCJIS Advisory Policy Board and theNational Crime Prevention CompactCouncil.

Over the next few years, we'll berolling out NGI capabilities incre-mentally so our partners will have thebenefit of each capability as soon asit gets our stamp of approval. Staytuned for future updates, and visit ournew NGI webpage.

H



ON THE MOVE National People On The Move Bulletin • Section B

HOUSTON — At a noon reception recently atthe Downtown Club at One Shell Plaza inHouston, the Texas Ports Association (TPA)honored U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison,Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce,Science and Transportation Committee, as TPA“Person of the Year.”

The TPA annually honors individuals fortheir work and support for Texas ports. Its aim isto advance the development of Texas ports,enabling them to compete with ports outsideTexas and thereby strengthen the economy ofTexas. Texas seaports handle an estimated 20 per-cent of the deep sea vessels calling at U.S. ports.

Sen. Hutchison was elected to the UnitedStates Senate in 1993 by way of special elec-tion, making her the first — and, to date, theonly — woman elected to represent the state ofTexas in the Senate.

“Our ports serve as the economic enginefor our region,” said Sen. Hutchison. “WhenJim Edmonds, chairman of the PortCommission, called my office to tell me thatthe ports were sharing customs officers with theairport, I sponsored legislation to increase per-sonnel to better protect our ports. I will contin-ue to support legislation that bolsters our pros-perity and ensures that Texas’ ports remainsecure, competitive and operationally sound. Iappreciate the Port Commission and the role itsmembers play.”

“Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has long beenat the forefront when it comes to national secu-rity, the economic welfare of our nation and therole our ports play in ensuring the success ofthose two dynamics,” said Port of HoustonAuthority Chairman Jim Edmonds.

Speaking from the perspec-tive of the inland waterway industry, MattWoodruff of the Kirby Corporation said,“There has been no louder voice speaking forour interests in Washington than that ofSenator Kay Bailey Hutchison. While otherstalk of support, she has consistently deliveredit. When our waterways have been threat-

ened, she has risen to thechallenge, finding the resources to ensurethat the needs of Texas waterways have beenmet. We can think of nobody who is moredeserving of recognition as the Texas PortPerson of the Year.”

Through her position on the SenateAppropriations Committee and as the Ranking

Member on the SenateCommerce, Science,and TransportationCommittee, Sen.Hutchinson has beena tireless advocate onbehalf of ports and themaritime industry. This advocacy has manifesteditself in terms of ensuring the continued safe andefficient flow of commerce through Texas portsand navigation channels, and ensuring strongand effective port security. Senator Hutchisonhas long been a champion for Texas ports.

Hutchison helped pass, in 2006, the SAFEPort Act, which authorized random inspectionof containers, established minimum standardsand procedures for security containers boundfor the U.S. and implemented an improved con-tainer targeting system.

She also offered an amendment to the Act,which passed and became law, adding hundredsof additional Customs and Border Protectionofficers to inspect incoming shipments.

Hutchison is an active supporter of thePort Security Grant Program, which has pro-vided more than $200 million to Texas portsover the past six years.

PHA Managing Director Wade Battles, whoserves as this year’s president of the Texas PortsAssociation, called Hutchison a “true champion”and said, “we’re glad to have her on our team.”

“She has proven herself to be a consistentand persistent advocate on behalf of Texas portswho has demonstratively helped deliver much-needed resources to ensure our successful —and safe operation.”

HONORING A VERY SPECIAL LADY: PHA Commissioners Jim Fonteno and Elyse Lanier; PHA Chairman Jim Edmonds; Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison; CongressmanPete Olson; Port Commissioner Judy Hawley, Port of Corpus Christi; and Port Commissioner Jimmy Brown, Port of Freeport.

“PersonTexas Ports Association (TPA) Honors U.S. SenatorKay Bailey Hutchison as TPA ‘Person of the Year’

Of TheYear”

ACHIEVEMENT: Tony Rigdon, port director, Port of Palacios; Phyllis Saathoff, Port ofFreeport; Bill Mathis, port director, Port of Texas City; Wade Battles, PHA managingdirector and president of TPA; Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison; Steve Cernak, port director,Port of Galveston; Pete Reixach, Jr., port director, Port of Freeport; Larry Kelly, deputyport director, Port of Port Arthur; and Chris Fisher, port director, Port of Beaumont.

— U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison —

TEXAS

BUSINESS CONNECTIONSWorldwide

Published By Aubrey R. Taylor • Serving The Houston Community Since 1998 • Email: [email protected] • SPECIAL 2009 PROMOTIONAL

BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

RESEARCHFirst Commercially Cloned Dog Delivered to Florida Family

DOWNLOAD THIS ISSUE ON THE WORLDWIDE WEB BY VISITING: WWW.PEOPLEDOINGBUSINESS.COM

Worldwide www.peopledoingbusiness.comwww.peopledoingbusiness.com

OCA RATON -BioArts Internationalhas delivered theworld’s first commer-

cially cloned dog, a 10-weekold Labradornamed Lancey,to Florida resi-dents Edgar andNina Otto.

Lancey, the first commer-cially cloned dog, was deliv-ered to his family last month.

“We can’t believe this dayis finally here,” said Nina Otto,“We are so happy to have little

Lancey in our family. His pred-ecessor was a very special dog.We are thrilled beyond words!”

Lancey was hand deliv-ered to the Ottos on Monday,

January 26th byB i o A r t sChairman LouH a w t h o r n e .

“This is a very special mile-stone for our company - andgreat fun for me too,” saidHawthorne, who deliveredLancey personally.

The Ottos were one offive families to bid and win an

auction held by BioArtsInternational in July for achance to clone their familydog. Lancey’s genetic donor,

Sir Lancelot, died in January,2008, and the Ottos had hisDNA stored. By October, sam-ples from the original dog wereon their way to the SooamBiotech Research Foundationin Seoul, South Korea, whichprovides cloning services toBioArts.

Lancey was born onNovember 18, 2008, andbrought to the U.S. on January25, 2009 after being weaned

HAWTHORNE

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Lancey, the first commerciallycloned dog, was delivered to his family last month.LANCEY page, P.22

By John J. KruzelAmerican Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON — In his firstvisit to the Pentagon as command-er in chief, President BarackObama thanked U.S. servicemem-bers and pledged to provide troopsthe resources they need to accom-plish their missions.

Obama spoke to reportershere after meeting with the Joint

Chiefs of Staff and DefenseSecretary Robert M. Gates to dis-cuss military readiness, “difficultdecisionS” on Iraq and Afghanistanand other national security threatsand objectives.

“I want to firstof all thank all ofthe men and women in uniformwho are represented here. They arethe best that this country has tooffer,” Obama said after he and

Vice President Joe Biden shookhands with a row of troops from allservice branches who lined an E-ring Pentagon hallway.

“All of you who are servingin the U.S. armedforces are going tohave my full support,

and one of my duties as presidentis going to be to make sure thatyou have what you need to accom-plish your missions,” he said.

Obama said the first point headdressed with the Joint Chiefs —the senior-ranking officers of eachmilitary service branch — wasgratitude for the service and sacri-fice of troops and military fami-lies, who he said were responsiblefor national freedoms that some-times are taken for granted.

B

Obama Thanks Troops, Pledges SupportFollowing Meeting with Joint Chiefs

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Bidengreet servicemembers Jan. 28, 2009, during their firstvisit to the Pentagon since taking office. DoD photo byNavy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

Presidents’ Day is February16th!

OBAMA on page, P.24

BULLETIN

Taylor Signs VeteranMarketing Consultant

HOUSTON — Aubrey R. Taylor, the pub-lisher of this publication is pleased to wel-come Jim Johnson, the founder and CEOof Better Marketing Concepts, L.L.C.aboard as a special consultant on local andinternationalaffairs. Johnsonwill take on theendeavor ofexpandingAubrey R.Taylor productsand services;locally, nation-ally and theninternationally.

Supportedby some of thebest interna-tional businessconsultants inthe world,Johnson brings experience and a world-wide perspective unparalled in the industry.He’s also created and maintained strategicand meaningful relationships incorporate and political circlesthat should prove invaluableto Taylor’s vision of goingglobal. “My number onegoal is to serve as an exten-sion of Aubrey R. Taylor,”Johnson said. “It’s than simple.”

After spending more than 25 yearsworking in corporate America represent-ing firms such as InternationalTelephone & Telegraph, AramcoServices Company, Texaco, and TheAnheuser Bush Companies, Johnsonunderstands and can act on businessobjectives in a variety of industries.

“I know why Budweiser is the #1 beerin the world...I also know how to help com-panies meet their goals and seize opportuni-ties — whether those opportunities are nextdoor or on the otherside of the world.”

Governor BobbyJindal welcomesJames Johnson intothe state of Louisiana.

F LORIDA

WASHINGTON

A



ON THE MOVE National People On The Move Bulletin • Section B

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE

The U.S. military bid farewellto the outgoing commander inchief during a stirring andemotional departure ceremony in which he calledleading men andwomen in uniformthe highlight of hispresidency.

A joint service honor guard, military band and about4,000 cheering, flag-waving fans greeted formerPresident George W. Bush and former First Lady LauraBush as they arrived here from what’s been called “theultimate change of command ceremony.”

The participants — former staffers, invited guests andservicemembers and their families — waited inside the316th Airlift Wing’s Hangar Six to hail the president andformer Vice President Dick Cheney. They watched theinaugural ceremonies on a jumbotron screen suspendedfrom the hangar ceiling, then waited with anticipation asBush lifted off from the Capitol grounds aboard the MarineCorps VH-60 helicopter referred to as “Executive One.”

The crowd roared as the former president and vicepresident made their dramatic entrance into the hangar.The rousing sounds of the “Air Force One” movietheme rung out as the huge hangar slowly opened,revealing the huge blue-and-white presidential aircraftglistening in the sunlight.

Children climbed onto their parents’ shoulders tocatch a better glimpse, and spectators hoisted camerashigh to capture the moment in history.

Bush admitted that he wasn’t sure how he would feelpassing the presidency to the next administration, butdeclared, “I am thankful, I am grateful and I am joyful!”

“I’ve had a lot of great experiences,” as president, hetold the group, but said none has been better than leadingmilitary members who have volunteered to serve thecountry in a time of danger. Bush said he’ll miss beingcommander in chief and being able to stand in front of thetroops to tell them “how much we respect you and howmuch we admire you.”

Bush said he’ll leave the presidency with his “headheld high,” confident that he took the right course in dif-ficult times. Historians will sort out his time in office, hesaid, expressing belief that they’ll note "we did not shirkour duty, we did not shy away" from difficult decisionsand that “we served with conviction.”

Cheney praised Bush for taking on “the big jobs thatneeded doing” after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attackslaunched some of the greatest challenges to ever confront theUnited States. “George W. Bush protected America,” he said.“History remembers such leaders and marks them well.”

Bush shook hands with many in the crowd, thenturned toward the VC-25 aircraft that would take himhome to Texas. The flight was designated Special AirMission 28000 rather than Air Force One, which belongsonly to the airplane carrying the sitting president.

On the tarmac, Air Force Brig. Gen. MaggieWoodward, the 89th Airlift Wing commander, escorted theBushes to a red carpet stretching to the aircraft. A 42-piecejoint honor guard flanked both sides of the carpet.

At the end of the carpet, Air Force Col. StevenShepro, commander of the 316th Wing, and Col. EricSnadecki, his vice commander, said their final goodbyesbefore Bush climbed the steps to the plane.

Shepro said he felt honored for him and his airmento bid a personal goodbye to the departing former presi-dent. “It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend,” he said.He credited his elite team that regularly serves the presi-dent — with the Air Force’s only flightline protocol officeand a second-to-none security detachment, among them -

FINAL FAREWELL: Former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush give a final wave to the crowd of morethan 1,000 people gathered at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., prior to their final departure aboard Air Force One, Jan. 20,2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Craig Clapper.

GOODBYE:— By Donna Miles —

American Forces Press Service

Troops Bid Bush Farewell at Andrews Air Force Base

GOODBYE continued on page, P.22

5615 Northwest Central Dr. Suite #104 Houston, Texas 77092

Compass Announces OrganizationalRestructuring in Connection withTransformation Phase

BIRMINGHAM — Compass Bank has announced anorganizational restructuring focused on integrating

Compass with BBVA’s universal banking model,upgrading technology platforms, and utilizingglobal resources and tools to gain furtherefficiencies throughout the organization. As

part of the reorganization, Compass hasupgraded its corporate governance system by

further separating the responsibilities of risk managementfrom control functions. As a result, the Audit Department,led by Ignacio Garijo, which resides in the Chairman'sOffice will operate completely independent of the busi-ness areas and report directly to the Audit Committee ofthe Board of Directors. Additionally, the ComplianceDepartment will now report directly to Jerry Powell,General Counsel and Secretary.

Lean Marketing Assessment Programlaunched by Business901

ANCHORAGE — Joe Dager, owner of Business901 hasintroduced the “Lean Marketing Assessment” to theattendees of a webinar he hosted recently. This programallows participants to gain a clear snapshot of their pres-ent marketing conditions and practices. The participants

can use the assessment to determine areas inneed of improvement and develop a planaccordingly. The Business901 LeanMarketing Assessment is used to determinea company’s current position relative to the

recognized practices of a Lean Enterprise. Itbegins with an outline of the Key Performance indicatorsand the scoring system that is used in the evaluation ofeach. The participants complete the assessment duringthe process and active participation is encouraged toreinforce the evaluation of each indicator. The final ele-ment is a review and explanation of the scatter diagramthat is created. This will allow participants to see theareas of greatest concerns and strengths.

Vershure Joins Greenbuild 09 as ArizonaHost Committee Executive Director

PHOENIX — Beth Vershure, former Station Manager forKAET-TV, the Phoenix PBS affiliate, has joinedGreenbuild 09 as the Executive Director of the ArizonaHost Committee to help Arizona “connect to the conver-sation” to transform the built environment. Greenbuild 09is the International Conference and Expo of the U.S.Green Building Council (USGBC), taking placeNovember 11-13, 2009 at the new Phoenix ConventionCenter. It is expected to bring 30,000 professionals toPhoenix in the fields of construction, energy, communityplanning, sustainability and other related fields to heartop international speakers and see the latest technology.

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Abalos & Associates, PLLC NamesAltman Senior Tax Accountant

PHOENIX — Sandy Abalos, managing partner of Abalos& Associates, PLLC announces that Jamie Altman hasjoined the firm as a senior tax accountant. In this posi-

tion, she will handle client relations, research andcompliance, as well as tax returns for busi-nesses and individuals. Altman received abachelor’s in psychology from the University ofPittsburgh and is a member of the AmericanInstitute of Certified Public Accountants

(AICPA) and the Tennessee Society of CPAs. Anative of Monaca, Pa., Altman resides in Phoenix. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRO names John Peeke-Vout Sr. VPOperations

PHOENIX — IPRO Corp., a leader in the design of scal-able, easy to manage litigation support software as wellas e-Discovery software, has named John Peeke-Vout as

Senior Vice President of Operations. In this role, Peeke-Vout will be responsible for all facets of operations fromengineering and applications to client satisfaction andworkflow.

Dillard's, Inc. Names Lloyd Garrison asCDI Contractors, LLC Chief ExecutiveOfficer

LITTLE ROCK — Dillard’s Inc. announces that LloydGarrison has been named chief executive officer ofArkansas-based CDI Contractors, LLC (“CDI”). Garrisonhas been employed with CDI since 1987, most recentlyserving as president, and has over 30 years of experi-ence in the construction industry. WilliamClark,II, former chief executive officer of CDI,has resigned to pursue other interests. Allother CDI officers and members of the man-agement team remain with CDI.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin Lyles Named President & COO ofClub Marketing Services

BENTONVILLE — Kevin Lyles has been namedPresident & Chief Operating Officer of Club MarketingServices, according to Dalton Lott, CEO. Lyles was previ-ously Executive Vice President of Sales with the firm. Hisprior experience includes 17 years with the Bentonvilleoffices of ConAgra Foods. Long active in the Bentonvillecommunity, Lyles is a past president of the BentonvilleTigers Football Booster club. He and his wife, Lorrel,have three sons. Lyles is a graduate of Abraham BaldwinAgricultural College, with a degree in Food Science.

and growth.

Hotwire Announces Clem Bason AsPresident of Hotwire Group

SAN FRANCISCO — Hotwire, a leading travel discountsite, announces that Clem Bason has been promoted topresident of the Hotwire Group, which includesHotwire.com(R), Travel-Ticker.com(R), andCarRentals.com(TM). Bason, who will oversee allaspects of the three business units, takes over for EricGrosse, who has been promoted to president ofExpedia(R) Worldwide.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mocana Named One of the “Top 100Tech Startups in the World” by RedHerring

SAN FRANCISCO — Mocana, a software company thatdelivers comprehensive security solutions for connectedand embedded devices, announces that it has beenselected by Red Herring as one of their “Global 100”: thetop 100 privately-held technology companies in theworld. High-profile alumni of Red Herring's “NorthAmerican 100” (of which Mocana was also a winner)include then-startups Google, eBay and Skype.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sutter Health’s Former General CounselGary Loveridge Returns to McDonoughHolland & Allen pc

SACRAMENTO — Gary F. Loveridge, a 35-year veteranhealth care attorney, rejoins McDonough Holland & AllenPC after serving as senior vice president and generalcounsel for Sutter Health in Sacramento. FormerlyMcDonough’s managing shareholder and Health CarePractice Group leader, Loveridge's return as of counselunderscores the firm's continued growth and strong repu-tation in the field of health care law.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

GenCorp Announces Appointment ofChief Financial Officer

SACRAMENTO — GenCorp Inc. announces that KathleenE. Redd, the Company’s acting chief financial officer, hasbeen appointed the Company’s chief financial officer. Reddwill also maintain her position as vice president.

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IPC The Hospitalist Company Receives‘Best IPO’ Award from Los AngelesVenture Association

NORTH HOLLYWOOD — IPC The Hospitalist Company,Inc., a leading national hospitalist physician group prac-tice company, announces that it has received the “BestIPO” award from the Los Angeles Venture Association(LAVA). LAVA Executive Director Leonard Lanzi said,“We are pleased to celebrate the success of venture-backed companies, such as IPC. In this environment,anyone who pulls off an IPO with a $237 million valuationshould be commended for their efforts. From LAVA's per-spective, who was involved and how it happened makesthis a story we want to highlight.”

Thompson National Properties HiresSteve Corea as Senior Vice President,Acquisitions

IRVINE — Thompson National Properties, LLC,announces that Steve Corea has joined the company asSenior Vice President, Acquisitions. Corea manages thesourcing, analysis, negotiation and due diligence reviewsof acquisition candidates and has more than 25 years ofcommercial real estate experience, including $3 billion intenant-in-common transactions and $1 billion in acquisi-tions on behalf of real estate investment trusts andopportunity fund investors. Previously, Corea was atBirtcher Anderson Realty and prior to that he was SeniorVice President at Triple Net Properties, LLC. He earned aBachelor of Science in real estate finance and currentlyholds a Certified Commercial InvestmentMember (CCIM) designation. ThompsonNational Properties, LLC provides realestate investment opportunities and assetmanagement to high net worth domestic,foreign, individual and institutional investors.As of December 31, 2008 Thompson NationalProperties has more than 8.7 million square feet of prop-erty under management.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Coreland Principal Patrick GalentineAppointed on Two New Receiverships

TUSTIN — Coreland Companies of Tustin, Calif., one ofthe largest private real estate service companies basedin California, announces that their Principal PatrickGalentine has been appointed State Court Receiver inmatters involving two assets located in SouthernCalifornia, a newly built 200,000-square-foot light indus-trial/office condo development in Downey and a 20,000-square-foot executive suite/office complex in Irvine.Coreland Companies will be responsible for the propertymanagement during the receivership period.

Michael S. Burg Selected as Lawyer ofthe Year for 2008 by Law WeekColorado

ENGLEWOOD — Michael S. Burg, shareholder andfounder of the firm of Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh &Jardine, P.C. has been named as 2008 Lawyer of theYear by Law Week Colorado. Burg's selection was inrecognition of the entrepreneurial approach used to builda firm which enjoys a hard-won national reputation as adynamic, aggressive trial firm and because he has dis-played an exemplary commitment to his profession, hiscommunity and to his clients.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thomas Taber & Drazen Lands NewVice President

DENVER — Thomas Taber & Drazen (TTD), afull-service independent Denver advertisingagency, has hired Dirk Van Slyke as VicePresident Group Account Director, accordingto Bryan Thomas, Chief Executive Officer ofTTD. Van Slyke will take on top-level responsi-bilities on the WOW! Internet-Cable-Phone-a broad-band (cable over-builder) provider to Midwest markets-andClarity Media Group-owner of the San Francisco, Baltimoreand Washington D.C. Examiner newspapers-accounts, aswell as assist with new business development.

Former Top Justice Department OfficialJoins Bracewell & Giuliani

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HARTFORD — Kevin J. O'Connor has joined Bracewell& Giuliani LLP's Hartford, Connecticut office as a litiga-

tion partner. Until recently, O'Connor served as theU.S. Associate Attorney General (the third-

ranking position in the Department ofJustice). He has extensive experience inboth the federal government and in private

practice. Initially Mr. O’Connor will focus onmulti-jurisdictional commercial litigation matters

(including those related to corporate restructuring) forFortune 500 companies and private investment funds. Healso will play a significant role in white collar matters han-dled by the firm’s New York, Washington, D.C., andTexas offices. Mr. O’Connor comes to Bracewell with ahigh-profile and strong national and statewide reputation,built through his prior service as a United States Attorney,municipal government official, Congressional candidate,and corporate lawyer.

Pax Evaluating New TechnologyCompany for Acquisition

WILMINGTON — Pax Clean Energy, Inc. announces thatit has formally ceased plans for the proposed biodieselplant located in Serbia and that it continues to evaluateseveral promising technology projects in an effort to bringincreased value to shareholders.

United States Senator John McCainPutting his Country First with newmovement

WASHINGTON — United States Senator John McCainannounces the formation of what he’s calling a new grass-roots movement called Country First. The movement wascreated to strengthen the Republican party, better definethe Republican ideals and message, recruit and backstrong, dedicated candidates and continue ongoing effortsto bring real reform to government by always putting theUnited States first according to McCain.

Winn-Dixie Pilots New SaveRiteConcept

JACKSONVILLE — In an effort to continue better serv-ing its customers, Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. has opened aprototype store in its existing SaveRite location onJacksonville's Westside. The completely redesignedstore, located at 1012 Edgewood Avenue, features every-day low pricing on thousands of items, plus monthlylocked-in specials and special price-drop items in a ware-house format.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of FloridaLaunches Cover Florida Plans for theUninsured

JACKSONVILLE — As one of Governor Crist’s chosenhealth care insurers selected to participate in the Cover

Florida plan, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida(BCBSF) has launched its low-cost insuranceplans available to uninsured Floridians.These plans are available to adults between

the ages of 19 and 64 who have been withoutcoverage for at least six months. BCBSF is offer-

ing two valuable Cover Florida products; a non-cata-strophic and catastrophic plan, both with a broad rangeof coverage for members. The non-catastrophic plan pro-vides coverage for basic and preventive care, includingphysician office visits, dental care, pharmacy, and labwork. The catastrophic plan offers the same services withthe addition of hospital coverage. Average costs for theplans are approximately $50 and $150 per month respec-tively, and vary by region.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- CallMiner Promotes Scott Kendrick VicePresident Product

FORT MYERS — CallMiner, the leader in enterprisespeech analytics, announces it has promoted ScottKendrick to Vice President Product. The promotion is effec-

tive immediately. Kendrick will be responsible for productmanagement, development and user experience design.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Knight Foundation announces theretirement of Larry Meyer

MIAMI — The Miami-based Knight Foundation hasannounced the retirement of LARRY MEYER, seniorcommunications officer. Meyer joined the foundation in1995 as director of communications and was promoted tovice president and later secretary. Earlier, he worked as areporter and editor for the Fort Myers News-Press, theColumbia Missourian, the Hannibal Courier-Post, andserved as executive assistant to the publisher for theMiami Herald.

Atlanta Convention & Visitors BureauAppoints c21 President SharonGoldmacher to Board

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Convention &Visitors Bureau (ACVB) has appointed toits board Sharon Goldmacher - president

of communications 21 (c21), an integratedmarketing public relations firm. Goldmacher was

one of four local professionals to receive this honor for2009-2010. Goldmacher first became involved with theACVB during her role as the marketing and PR chair forthe 2007 NCAA® Men's Final Four®. Media coveragesecured under Goldmacher's leadership totaled nearly 60million impressions and $1.5 million in advertising value.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Partners Named at Habif, Arogeti &Wynne Accounting Firm

ATLANTA — Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP, Atlanta’slargest independent accounting firm, has named KerryDefler and Robert Melnick as partners. “Kerry and Roberthave performed at the highest level and demonstratedthe desire and ability required of our partners as weadvance our firm,” said Dan Simms, managing partnerand CEO of HA&W. A member of the firm since 1998,Defler is a member of the Tax Group at HA&W andserves individuals, corporations and partnerships in themanufacturing, distribution, real estate, and technologyindustries. He also has extensive experience advisingclients in the area of state and local tax issues.

Melnick joined the firm in 1987. He has more than20 years of experience in both public accounting and pri-vate industry including seven years as CFO of anAtlanta-based business publisher and trade show pro-ducer. He is responsible for the financial managementand daily administrative operations of the firm.

HEI Announces Ajello as New Chief Financial Officer

HONOLULU — Hawaiian ElectricIndustries, Inc. has announced thatJames A. Ajello has been named HEISenior Financial Vice President,Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Ajello willreport to HEI President and Chief Executive Officer,Constance H. Lau. Ajello comes to HEI after eight yearsat Reliant Energy in Houston, Texas, where he was mostrecently Senior Vice President-Business Development,leading Reliant's effort to expand and grow competitiveelectricity markets across the United States. Ajello joinedReliant following deregulation of Texas’s electric markets,and as President of Reliant Energy Solutions LLC andSenior Vice President and General Manager ofCommercial & Industrial Marketing, led the developmentand operations of a new line of business that providesintegrated energy solutions to commercial and industrialcustomers in seven states.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

GTA TeleGuam Selects MetaSwitch asIts Strategic Supplier for IPCommunications Infrastructure

HONOLULU — MetaSwitch, the leader in reliable, high-quality carrier IP communications solutions, announcedat the 2009 Pacific Telecommunications Council confer-

ence that it has been selected as the sole strategic VoIPinfrastructure provider to GTA TeleGuam, Guam's lead-ing communications service provider. A United Statesterritory in the western Pacific Ocean, Guam is thelargest of the Marianas island chain, with a population ofmore than 175,000.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hawaiian Electric Company Names NewPresident & CEO

HONOLULU — Hawaiian ElectricCompany, subsidiary of Hawaiian ElectricIndustries, Inc., announces that Richard M.Rosenblum has been named President andCEO. Rosenblum replaces T. Michael May, who steppeddown as President and CEO in August of this year.Rosenblum, age 58, comes to Hawaii with 32 years ofexperience in all phases of utility operations at SouthernCalifornia Edison (SCE), California's largest electric utili-ty. Most recently, he held the position of Senior VicePresident of Generation, responsible for all of SCE'spower generation facilities. During that tenure,Rosenblum helped initiate the nation's largest solar pho-tovoltaic project, which aims to install 250 megawatts ofsolar generating capacity on commercial rooftops aroundSouthern California.

Ryan Lane Joins Wirestone as SolutionArchitect

BOISE — Wirestone, an independent marketing solu-tions company, adds Ryan Lane as a Solution Architect,according to Executive Director of Technology, Jon Baker.In this new position, Lane, a 15-year digital veteran, willbe part of Wirestone's Microsoft account team contribut-ing both technical pre-sales consulting expertise onMicrosoft sales activities as well as leading out architec-ture and implementation for new project deliveries. Priorto joining Wirestone, he spent two years withWunderman as Digital Strategist workingclosely with the Silverlight business groupinside Microsoft to create prototype applica-tions and new tools. He was an InformationArchitect at Ascentium, a Program Manager atIndieFlix and Creative Director working on the design of anew home gaming platform at Infinium Labs.

Chicago Community Trust announceseveral appointments

CHICAGO — The Chicago Community Trust hasannounced Bob Eichinger as director of donor services,Lloyd Fry as director of development, Antonio MartinezJr. as assistant director of development, Veronica Vidalas manager of development, and William E. Lowry Jr. asspecial assistant to the president. Eichinger was formerlydirector of development and alumni affairs at MorganPark Academy. Fry served as director of development atWindow To The World Communications Inc.Martinez was director of corporate sponsor-ship for the American Bar Association.Vidal was a fellow in the ChicagoCommunity Trust's fellowship in arts andculture management. Lowry previously servedas senior advisor to MacArthur Foundation presidentJonathan Fanton.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caterpillar Announces AdditionalLayoffs for Employees at Three IllinoisFacilities

PEORIA — To bring production levels in line with currentdemand, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) has notified full-time production employees at its Aurora, Decatur andEast Peoria, Illinois, manufacturing facilities of permanentlayoffs. A total of 2,110 production employees will be laidoff at the three facilities as a result of this decision. Thelayoffs for the production employees are in addition to awide range of other workforce and cost-reduction actionsthat were outlined by Caterpillar recently.

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When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong. The minority are right. — Eugene V. Debs


Governor Blagojevich

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was con-victed at his impeachment trial. The Illinois Senate votedoverwellmingly to impeach the embattled governor on thecharge of abuse of power in his role of allegedly trying tosale the vacant Senate seat of now President BarackObama after he vacated the seat to run for President.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rand McNally Appoints Andreas Hechtto Lead Digital Division as ExecutiveVice President

SKOKIE — Rand McNally announces the appointment ofAndreas Hecht as executive vice president of

digital products and services. Hecht joinsRand McNally as the company sets itssights on becoming the world leader in tripand travel services by leveraging its expert-

ise in mapping, navigation and travel to createthe industry's most sophisticated online trip and

travel planning services seamlessly connected acrossmobile and portable devices and the Internet.

Jackson Systems, LLC Welcomes NewEmployee

INDIANAPOLIS — Jackson Systems, LLC, an Indiana-based, award-winning HVAC manufacturer and whole-saler, welcomes Ashley Rudolphi to their administrativeteam. As a marketing coordinator/administrative assis-tant, Ashley will be working on email marketing, and pub-lic relations, as well as helping create systems and pro-cedures. She will work with external resources to devel-op blog content and re-design the company website.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Network of Women in BusinessAnnounces 2009 Board of Directors

INDIANAPOLIS — The Network of Women in Business,Indianapolis’ oldest and largest locally based women’sorganization, has elected their officers for 2009. Theeight-member board directs the activities of the entiremembership. Their one-year term begins immediately. JillWesley was elected President. She is currently, Directorof Career Services at Indiana Business College. Memberat Large (Past President) Stephanie Williams is a

Financial Advisor at WestPoint Financial. VicePresident, Denise Meyer is SolutionsMarketing Manager at InteractiveIntelligence, Incorporated. Treasurer, CindySchum is an Assistant Vice President at

National Bank of Indianapolis. Secretary,Donna Moffatt is a Business Development

Representative for Forum Credit Union. Marketing &Communications Chair, Nicole Nonte is the BusinessDevelopment Director for BitWise Solutions,Incorporated. Membership Services Chair, AmandaMcGinity is a CPA, Katz at Sapper & Miller, LLP. SpecialInterest Group Chair, Rachel Mahl is a BusinessDevelopment Director at Accent on Business. TheNetwork of Women in Business hosts a capstone monthlyevent, The Leadership Series, as well as a variety of spe-cial interest groups featuring dynamic speakers, focusedon Sales and Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Leadershipand Casual networking. All events are open to the public.For more information, please visit www. nowib.com.

Daniel J. Houston Named to EmployeeBenefit Research Institute Board ofTrustees

DES MOINES — Daniel J. Houston, president ofRetirement and Investor Services at the PrincipalFinancial Group®, has joined the board of trustees for theEmployee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) inWashington, D.C. Houston replaces the board positionpreviously held by Larry D. Zimpleman, president andchief executive officer of The Principal®. Established in1978, EBRI is the only not for profit, nonpartisan organi-zation committed to original public policy research andeducation on economic security and employee benefits.Today, EBRI is recognized as one of the most authorita-tive and objective resources in the world on employee

benefit issues such as health care, pensions, and eco-nomic security.

INVISTA B.V. Makes Available CurrentReport to Investors

WICHITA — INVISTA B.V., a global integrated polymersand fibers company, has made available a current reportregarding an amendment of a material definitive agree-ment. INVISTA B.V. made the report available to holdersand beneficial owners of units (consisting of 91⁄4% seniornotes due 2012 of KoSa Lux Finance B.V., 91⁄4% seniornotes due 2012 of KoSa UK Finance B.V., 91⁄4% seniornotes due 2012 of INVISTA (Canada) Company, and91⁄4% senior notes due 2012 of Arteva Global HoldingsB.V.) as well as to prospective investors and securitiesanalysts who contact INVISTA to request copies.

Papa John's Named Top-10 Franchisorby Entrepreneur Magazine

LOUISVILLE — Papa John's International, Inc. hasearned another industry honor, this time being named thenumber 10 global franchise for 2009 by Entrepreneurmagazine in its annual Franchise 500 rankings.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fisher & Phillips LLP Opens LouisvilleOffice

ATLANTA & LOUISVILLE —Fisher & PhillipsLLP, a national labor and employment lawfirm, announces its expansion intoLouisville, Kentucky. Jeffrey A. Savarise,Thomas J. Birchfield, Craig P. Siegenthalerand George D. Adams have joined Fisher &Phillips to open Louisville's first nationwide labor andemployment firm. All four were formerly partners in theLabor and Employment Practice Group of the Louisville-based law firm of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald PLLC.Joining them as Of Counsel is Katherine A. Hessenbruch,who formerly held that position in Greenebaum Doll &McDonald's Labor and Employment Practice Group.

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces theAppointment of Lance Wallace to theLouisiana State Board of PrivateInvestigators

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal announces theappointment of Lance Wallace to the Louisiana StateBoard of Private Investigators. The LouisianaState Board of Private Investigators servesto govern the practice of a private investiga-tor in the state of Louisiana, examine allapplicants seeking licensure as a privateinvestigator or private investigator agency and issuelicenses to those possessing the necessary qualifica-tions. Wallace, of Lake Charles, is the owner of WallaceInvestigations, LLC, and a member of the LouisianaPrivate Investigators Association. He will serve as a rep-resentative of the 4th Public Service Commission District,as required by statute.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces theAppointment of Terry Pizani to theGrand Isle Port Commission

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Bobby Jindal announces theappointment of Terry Pizani to the Grand Isle PortCommission. The Grand Isle Port Commission serves toregulate commerce and traffic within Grand Isle PortAccording to statute, the commission is comprised of fivemembers, subject to senate confirmation. Each membermust be a resident of Grand Isle selected from nomina-tions submitted by the mayor and aldermen of the Town ofGrand Isle. Pizani, of Grand Isle, is a commercial fisher-man and member of the Louisiana Shrimp Association.Pizani was nominated for appointment by the mayor andaldermen of the Town of Grand Isle, as required by statute. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces theAppointment of Travis Mumphrey to theCrescent City Connection OversightAuthority

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jindal announces the appoint-ment of Travis Mumphrey to the Crescent CityConnection Oversight Authority. The Crescent CityConnection Oversight Authority serves to establish priori-ties of projects from the remaining funds once all opera-tion and maintenance expenses of the bridges and ferriesunder the authority of the Crescent City ConnectionDivision of the Department of Transportation andDevelopment have been paid. Travis Mumphrey, ofMarrero, is the associate executive director of the YMCAof Greater New Orleans and is a member of the Alliancefor Good Government. Mumphrey was nominated toserve as a representative of the 87th House District, asrequired by statute.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shaw Names Gary P. Graphia asExecutive Vice President and ChiefOperating Officer

BATON ROUGE — The Shaw Group Inc. announcesthat Gary P. Graphia, currently executive vice president ofCorporate Development and Strategy, has been namedexecutive vice president and chief operating officer ofThe Shaw Group Inc. In this new role, Mr. Graphia willoversee the operating segments of the company andcontinue to report to J.M. Bernhard Jr., Shaw's chairman,president and chief executive officer.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jones Walker Attorneys Named toPositions in Order of British Crown

NEW ORLEANS — Jones Walker is pleased toannounce the appointment of two of its attorneys to posi-tions in an Order of the British Crown that has been inexistence since the 11th century. Herschel L. Abbott, Jr.,Special Counsel in the New Orleans office of JonesWalker, was recently invested into the Order of St. John,and Palmer C. Hamilton, a Partner in the firm'sMobile and Washington offices, wasappointed a member of the Chapter of theAmerican Priory of the Order, one of thePriory's two governing boards. Mr. Hamiltonhas been a member of the Order for severalyears. The Order of St. John is an Order of Chivalry ofthe British Crown, engaged in a variety of charitableworks throughout the world. All appointments to theOrder are made by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, asSovereign Head of the Order, and His Royal Highnessthe Duke of Gloucester, as Grand Prior of the Order.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whitney Promotes Baird, Callicutt,Exnicios to Senior Executive VicePresident, Davis, Olander, Schwertz,Tait Promoted to Executive VicePresident

NEW ORLEANS — Whitney Holding Corporation(Nasdaq:WTNY) announces its Board of Directors haspromoted Robert C. Baird, Executive - Banking Services,Thomas L. Callicutt, Jr., Chief Financial Officer, andJoseph S. Exnicios, Chief Risk Officer to SeniorExecutive Vice President. "Bobby, Tom and Joe haveeach made significant contributions to Whitney over theirtenures with the Bank, and I would like to join the rest ofour Board in congratulating them on a well-deserved pro-motion," said John C. Hope, III, Chairman and CEO."With over nine decades of combined banking experi-ence, their expertise and their dedication to Whitney areextremely valuable during these challenging economictimes and I am thankful to have them as members of thismanagement team." Also promoted by the Board toExecutive Vice President are Omer C. Davis, RegionalPresident - Western Louisiana, Gary M. Olander,Regional President - Houston, Thomas D. Tait, RegionalPresident - Central Gulf Coast and Joseph S. Schwertz,General Counsel.

EnviroLogix and Ionian TechnologiesEnter Into Exclusive DNA License andTechnology Transfer Agreement

PORTLAND — EnviroLogix Inc. (Portland, ME), a com-

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Whatever field of human activity one may take, only those trends that are in harmony with the needs of society show rapid progress. — Nikolai Chernyshevsky

pany that develops and sells rapid, on-site and lab-basedimmunoassays for detecting transgenic proteins in genet-

ically modified seeds, plants and crops, andIonian Technologies Inc. (San Diego, CA), acompany commercializing a proprietary rapidnucleic acid assay technology, have concludedan Exclusive License and Technology Transfer

Agreement. Under terms of the agreement,EnviroLogix is granted worldwide and exclusive rights todevelop, manufacture, and sell tests serving agricultural(including GMO), plant pathogen and veterinary markets uti-lizing Ionian's patented Nicking Enzyme AmplificationReaction (NEAR) technology. The tests will incorporateIonian's isothermal amplification methods to detect targetedDNA and RNA, in less than 10 minutes, with sensitivityequivalent to PCR, the current gold standard.

Joe Corbi's Supports Unites States’Troops With Pride

BALTIMORE — Supporting our armed forces is a greatway to make a difference in the lives and morale of themilitary men and women currently serving and deployedoverseas. That is what Joe Corbi's, a family business,

has set out to do. With the help of a program calledAdoptaPlatoon (www.adoptaplatoon.org),

Rocco and Laureen Violi initiated the processof supporting troops who sacrifice by beingaway from home and their families. Since

2003, Joe Corbi's and its family of employeeshave supported many different troops overseas. The

AdoptaPlatoon program assigns you to various platoonsas they are deployed, and as they return home, anotheris assigned. This gives many of the troops some of thebenefits of having the support from home. In most cases,the troops do not have the advantage of base PX storesduring deployment.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kodak Veteran Joins DataBank IMXManagement Team, Gerry becomesGeneral Manager of Databank's WesternRegion

BELTSVILLE — DataBank, a national document man-agement systems and document conversion servicesleader, has announced the appointment of John Gerry asthe General Manager of their Western Region, headquar-tered in Sacramento, CA. Gerry comes to DataBank after30 years with Kodak where he held several managementpositions in film-based and digital imaging systems. Hewill replace Bob Wyllie and will report directly to DickAschman, DataBank's CEO. Gerry will be responsible forDataBank operations located in Sacramento, CA andsales throughout the West.

EMC Names Randy Cowen to Board ofDirectors

HOPKINTON — EMC Corporation, theworld leader in information infrastruc-ture solutions, has announced the elec-tion of Randolph L. Cowen to its Boardof Directors. Cowen is the former co-ChiefAdministrative Officer, Global Head of Technology andOperations and Chief Information Officer for the GoldmanSachs Group, Inc. Mr. Cowen will also serve as a mem-ber of EMC's Leadership and Compensation Committeeand Mergers and Acquisitions Committee. EMC alsoannounces that Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, a member of itsBoard of Directors since 2004, has resigned due toincreasing demands on his time as President and ChiefExecutive Officer of Nokia Corporation in this challengingglobal economic environment. Mr. Cowen fills the Boardseat vacated by Mr. Kallasvuo.

Detroit Chapter of The IndusEntrepreneurs (TiE) Announces NewExecutive Team with Ganesan asPresident

DETROIT — The Detroit Chapter of TiE, The Indus

Entrepreneurs, is pleased to announce that it has electeda new executive team with Tel Ganesan, CEO Vison TechSolutions, as its new President. The announcement wasmade by the immediate past President of Detroit TiE,Victor Naidu, President Ramsoft Systems, Inc.

Tom Cook, President Elkay CabinetDivision, Announces Retirement

MINNEAPOLIS — Tom Cook has announced his retire-ment as President of the Elkay Cabinet Division. Cookbegan his career with Elkay as a consultant in 1993when the company first entered the cabinetry business.Shortly thereafter, he was named Vice President ofFinance for Medallion Cabinetry. In 1999, he was promot-ed to General Manager for Medallion. Under the leader-ship of Cook, Medallion consistently outpaced the cabi-net industry growth averages every year. In 2006, he wasnamed President of the Elkay Cabinet Division. Heserves on the Board of Directors for the Kitchen CabinetManufacturers Association and is chairman of that orga-nization's committee on environmental stewardship.

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Bush Foundation names Heegaard V.P.

ST. PAUL — The Bush Foundation in St. Paul,Minnesota, has named Susan Heegaard vice presidentand educational achievement team leader. Heegaard,most recently director of the Minnesota Office of HigherEducation, also served as senior policy advisor toMinnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. Earlier, she held vari-ous positions in the education field at both state and fed-eral levels.

Methodist Leaders Dine on U.S.Farm-Raised Catfish at AnnualMeeting

JACKSON — Members of the UnitedMethodist Church's Southeastern JurisdictionCouncil of Bishops were formally introduced to U.S.Farm-Raised Catfish during their annual meeting inJackson Mississippi recently. Sunflower native TurnerArant, a member of the board of directors for The CatfishInstitute and a lay leader within the United MethodistChurch, along with being a longtime catfish farmer, coor-dinated the meal for the church leadership.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

BCI named one of fastest growing companies in the country

JACKSON — In the midst of difficult economic times,Business Communications, Inc. (BCI) has achieved sub-stantial growth, culminating with their inclusion in Inc.magazine’s 2008 list of the fastest growing private com-panies in America.

Steve Tait to Step Down as President ofRSM McGladrey

KANSAS CITY — H&R Block has announced that SteveTait, president of its wholly owned RSM McGladrey sub-sidiary, Tait will step down from his role withthe company effective April 30. RSMMcGladrey is a leading provider ofaccounting, tax and business consult-ing to middle-market businesses whichoperates in an alternative practice struc-ture with McGladrey & Pullen LLP, a partner-owned CPAfirm that delivers audit and attest services. Together, thecompanies rank as the fifth largest U.S. provider ofaccounting, tax and business consulting services, with8,000 professionals and associates in nearly 100 offices.

David Farrell joins Stratus BuildingSolutions as VP-Master Deveopment

ST. LOUIS — David Farrell, a veteran franchise industryexecutive and general manager who resides in suburban

Boston, Massachusetts, has been recruited as VicePresident-Master Development at Stratus BuildingSolutions, the national building services and maintenancefranchise company based in St. Louis, Missouri, withexpanding operations in 18 states. As Vice President-Master Development at Stratus Building Solutions, Farrelljoins an executive team which is positioned to double insize system-wide by 2010, company executives said.

Cellular One Continues to ExpandMontana Coverage with Another NewCell Site in the Bozeman Area

MISSOULA — Cellular One announces the launch ofanother new cell site in the Bozeman area. The newsite is located in Logan, Montana within GallatinCounty and provides coverage between Three Forksand Manhattan. The addition of this cell site representsCellular One's 32nd new site in the state within thepast 18 months. Cellular One continues to out-buildVerizon and Alltel as clearly the fastest growing cellularphone company in Montana.

Top New Year's Resolution for2009 is Monetary, Not Health-Related As Usual

OMAHA — The number one New Year’s reso-lution for 2009 is to save more money according to 59percent of those who participated in a survey conductedfor TD AMERITRADE in December 2008 by OpinionResearch Corporation. While the traditional health-relat-ed New Year’s resolutions - like exercise more, eat bet-ter and lose weight - were cited as goals for 2009, theywere no longer within the top three New Year's resolu-tions as has been the case in years past. Forty-threepercent of respondents said they are more likely to havepersonal finance-related resolutions for 2009 than theywere two years ago compared to 28 percent whenasked the same question in last year's survey. While themajority (92 percent) indicated they were confident theycan manage their money responsibly, greater than halfsaid they wished they knew more about personalfinance and that managing their money is getting morecomplicated than it used to be.

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infoGROUP Appoints Two NewIndependent Directors

OMAHA — infoGROUP (NASDAQ: IUSA), the leadingprovider of proprietary business and consumer databas-es, sales leads, direct marketing, email marketing, mar-ket research and global information solutions, has namedRoger S. Siboni and Thomas L. Thomas as independentdirectors of infoGROUP's Board of Directors. Siboni andThomas fill the positions vacated by the resignations ofGeorge Haddix and Vasant Raval.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Robert L. Clarke Elected to Mutual ofOmaha Board of Directors

OMAHA — Robert L. Clarke, who served as U.S.Comptroller of the Currency from 1985 to1992, has been elected to the Mutual ofOmaha Board of Directors, Chairman andCEO Dan Neary has announced. Clarke is aSenior Partner and founder of the global financialservices practice at the law firm of Bracewell &Giuliani in Houston, where he assists banks in matters involvingstate and federal banking laws, regulations and compliance withrequirements of supervisory agencies, including the manage-ment of regulatory risk in day-to-day operations, mergers, acqui-sitions and strategic planning.

Gov. Gibbons Appoint’s new GamingControl Board Member

CARSON CITY — Governor Jim Gibbons hasannounced the appointment of Mark Lipparelli of LasVegas to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Lipparelli

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Democracy cannot be forced upon a society, neither is it a gift that can be held forever. It has to be struggled hard for and defended everyday anew.—Heinz Galinski

presently owns a technology development company spe-cializing in technology, marketing, and finance.Lipparelli’s professional past includes 4-years as anExecutive Vice-President at Bally Technology in LasVegas, 2-years as President and Vice-President ofShuffle Master, Inc. in Las Vegas, as well as variouspositions for Casino Data Systems in Las Vegas.Lipparelli also served 5-years as a Research Analyst andSecurities Analyst for the Nevada Gaming Control Boardstarting in the late 1980's.

Cedar Point Communications Names IndustryVeteran Jeff Walker as Vice President of Marketing

DERRY — Cedar Point Communications, a worldwideleader in integrated Voice over IP (VoIP) switching tech-nologies for service providers and enterprise telecommu-nications operators, has announced that Jeff Walker hasbeen named Vice President of Marketing. As vice presi-dent of marketing, Walker will be responsible for leadingthe product marketing, product management, corporatecommunications and customer facing application engi-neering teams.

Verizon Business Earns 2009 Frost &Sullivan North American MarketLeadership Award for Hosted IVRServices

BASKING RIDGE — Frost & Sullivan has given VerizonBusiness its North American Market Leadership Awardfor the company’s Hosted Interactive Voice Response(IVR) services, for the second time in three years. Theresearch and consulting firm announced the honor at itsExcellence in Information and CommunicationTechnologies Awards Banquet in San Antonio, Texas.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Verizon Wireless Opens its First Storein Newark

NEWARK — Verizon Wireless, the leading wireless com-pany with the most reliable voice and data network, hasopened its newest “evolution” Communications Store inNewark. The store, located at 744 Broad Street across

from the Prudential building, is the first VerizonWireless store in Newark and incorporates a

new interactive retail design inviting con-sumers to experience wireless voice, data,music and video services in a sleek, full-

service environment. Store hours areMonday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8:00

p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. The store phone number is 973-648-0760.

Grant Thornton Announces Nick GriecoAs Tax Associate

ALBUQUERQUE — The Albuquerque office of GrantThornton LLP, the U.S. member firm of Grant ThorntonInternational, is pleased to announce that Nick Griecohas joined the company as a tax associate. Grieco will beresponsible for tax support at Grant Thornton’sAlbuquerque office.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Qforma Appoints Two New Executives

SANTA FE — Qforma, an advanced analytics and pre-dictive modeling company, has announced the appoint-ments of Kristopher J. Wiggs as Vice President of Sales,New Business, and William Howard, Ph.D., as Director,Field Operations.

Worldwide Industrial Publishes NewSeals and Gaskets Buying Guide andDirectory

ALBANY —The international industrial directory for

American, Middle East and Asian manufacturersWorldwide Industrial has launched a new Gaskets andSeals Directory and Buying Guide for theglobal manufacturing community.Worldwide Industrial Marketplace (WIM),a division of US-based IndustrialLeaders Group and publisher of 54industrial product directories for NorthAmerica, Asia and the Middle East. The com-pany said the publication includes offerings for a widerange of metal and rubber sealing and gasketing prod-ucts for industrial, technical and medical applications.According to Steven Hanford, spokesperson forWorldwide Industrial, the Gaskets and Seals Directoryprovides access to manufacturers, exporters and suppli-ers of O-rings, mechanical seals, rubber-to-metal seals,special sealing compounds, glass-to-metal seals, compres-sor, hydraulic and high temperature seals, hermetic, flexi-ble, non-lead and brake seals as well as various gasketssuch as cork, copper head, silicone and molded gaskets,boiler, high temperature, Telfon, foam and heat exchangergaskets, spiral wound, Neoprene and a large variety ofother gaskets and seals constructed in various materials.

VACO Raleigh Managing Partner NamedNationwide Leader

RALEIGH — VACO, an executive placement and con-sulting firm specializing in contract, special project anddirect hire services in the fields of accounting andfinance, information technology, e-training and design,operations and executive search, has announced thatDavid Rhode, managing partner at the firm's Raleighlocation, was named the firm's top producer nationwide.Rhode was the top producer of gross mar-gin for VACO's 24 offices and more than200 producers who were in considera-tion for the ranking. In addition to hisdaily responsibilities managing VACORaleigh, Rhode assisted in the selectionof a new nationwide recruiting software sys-tem for the firm and also leads the nationwide softwaretraining for all new VACO associates.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparqware Adds Kirby as CTO

CHARLOTTE — Ryan Kirby has joined online data serv-ices firm Sparqware as Chief Technology Officer respon-sible for software architecture, development, operationsand building corporate infrastructure. Prior to joiningSparqware, he was Development Operations Managerfor SunGard OSSI in High Point, N.C. Kirby is a gradu-ate of North Carolina State University where he earned aBachelor of Science degree in Technology Education.

Titan Machinery Closes Acquisition of 9Dealerships: Western Plains & WPRentals

FARGO — Machinery Inc. (NASDAQ:TITN) announcesthat it has closed on the previously announced acquisi-tion of Western Plains Machinery Co. and WP Rentals,consisting of nine construction equipment locations inMontana and Wyoming. Founded in 1940, WesternPlains Machinery has Case Construction dealerships inBillings, Great Falls, Missoula, and Kalispell, Montanaand Casper and Gillette, Wyoming. WPRentals has locations in Billings andBelgrade, Montana and Cheyenne,Wyoming. These nine locations arecontiguous to Titan Machinery's existingconstruction stores and are expected tocontinue producing solid financial results by focusing onenergy, mining, residential, commercial and infrastructureprojects on the local, state and federal levels. In its mostrecently reported fiscal year ended December 31, 2007,Western Plains Machinery and WP Rental generated rev-enues of $48.9 million.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Titan Machinery Acquires AgricultureDealership in Minnesota

FARGO — Titan Machinery Inc. announces the acquisi-tion of Anderson Power and Equipment, Inc., an agricul-

ture equipment dealership in Thief River Falls,Minnesota. David Meyer, CEO of Titan Machinery stated,“Thief River Falls is strategically located between ourCrookston, Grand Forks and Roseau stores. Being onthe edge of the Red River Valley, the Thief River Fallsmarket is very similar to that of our core footprint in theRed River Valley of Eastern North Dakota and WesternMinnesota. We are fortunate to have Cecil Anderson, thefounder of Anderson Power and Equipment, as part ofthe Titan Machinery team, as he will continue to managethe dealership. Mr. Anderson is an industry leader andhas done a great job over the years selling and support-ing farm machinery representing the New Holland andCaseIH brands. We are witnessing increases in acresunder production, improved farming practices, andimproved seed genetics in this market, which will drivegrowth opportunities for Titan Machinery in the future.”

Thompson Hine Recognized for ClientService Excellence

CLEVELAND — In an independent survey of corporatecounsel, the law firm Thompson Hine LLP again rankedamong the top 30 firms in the country for delivering clientservice excellence. The Survey of Client ServicePerformance: The BTI Client Service A-Team 2009, ispublished by The BTI Consulting Group and summarizesinterviews with corporate counsel at Fortune 1000 com-panies on the key aspects of client relationships. Amongthe law firms identified by corporate counsel as deliveringoutstanding client service, the 30 highest-scoring firmseach year are named to the “BTI Client Service A-Team.”This is the second year in a row that Thompson Hine hasbeen included in the ranks of these elite firms.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Woolpert Acquires Miller EinhouseRymer & Boyd

DAYTON — Woolpert, Inc. has announced the acquisi-tion of Miller Einhouse Rymer & Boyd (MER&B), a land-scape architecture, civil engineering and planning firm inOrlando, Fla. Established in 1995, MER&B has extendedservices to private developers throughout central Floridaby providing extensive expertise within the private marketin comprehensive planning, site/civil design and engi-neering, and landscape architecture. MER&B was inte-gral to the success of regional development landmarkssuch as Reunion Resort and Club, a 2,300-acre destina-tion resort, and The Harmony Community DevelopmentDistrict, a 1,000-acre neo-traditional neighborhood com-munity that is the first phase of the 11,000-acreBirchwood Development of Regional Impact.

a la mode Promotes Brian Craven toChief Financial Officer

OKLAHOMA CITY — a la mode, inc. is pleased toannounce the promotion of Brian Craven, CPA, to theposition of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Craven isresponsible for the company's economic strategy andforecasting, financial accounting and planning, and man-agement of the company's financial performance.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quest Announces Election of ChiefFinancial Officer

OKLAHOMA CITY — The boards of directors of QuestResource Corporation and of the general partner ofQuest Energy Partners, L.P. announces the election ofEddie M. LeBlanc as Chief Financial Officer of the enti-ties. LeBlanc, an experienced E&P CFO, served asExecutive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer ofAscent Energy Company, an independent, private oil andgas company, from July 2003 until it was sold to RAMEnergy Resources in November 2007. Before Ascent,LeBlanc served as Senior Vice President and ChiefFinancial Officer of Range Resources Corporation, anNYSE-listed independent, oil and gas company, fromJanuary 2000 to July 2003. LeBlanc was a founder ofInterstate Natural Gas Company, which merged intoCoho Energy in 1994. At Coho, he served as Senior VicePresident and Chief Financial Officer until 1999.LeBlanc's 35 years of experience include assignments inCeleron Corporation and the energy related subsidiaries

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In actual fact those who do not care for politics and sit on the fence do indeed side for a political party: The ruling party. — Max Frisch

of Goodyear Tire and Rubber. Prior to entering the oiland gas industry, Mr. LeBlanc was with a nationalaccounting firm. He is a certified public accountant and achartered financial analyst, and he earned a B.S. inBusiness Administration from University of SouthwesternLouisiana. He replaces Jack T. Collins, who was appoint-ed Interim Chief Financial Officer in September 2008.Collins will continue in the role of Executive VicePresident Finance/Corporate Development of the Questentities where he will focus on the development andimplementation of the organization’s strategic plan andcapital structure.

Portland Attorney Selected to Serve onInternational Criminal Tribunal

PORTLAND — Timothy J. Resch, a partner of thePortland law firm of Samuels Yoelin Kantor

Seymour & Spinrad LLP has been selected tobe part of the Office of the Prosecutor for theUnited Nations International Criminal Tribunalfor the former Yugoslavia (“ICTY”). The

Tribunal was mandated to prosecute personsresponsible for serious violations of internation-

al humanitarian law committed in the former Yugoslaviasince 1991.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jive Named a Market Leader inCommunity Platforms

PORTLAND — Jive Software, the social business soft-ware leader, is recognized as a ‘Leader’ in theCommunity Platforms space by Forrester Research. Jivewas among the select companies invited to participate inthe January 2009 Forrester Wave(TM): CommunityPlatforms, Q1 2009 report.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rentrak Hires Cory Sher as Director ofBusiness Development

PORTLAND — Rentrak Corporation has announced thatit has hired Cory Sher as director of business develop-ment for the company's Advanced Media and Information(AMI) division. Sher is responsible for developing andmanaging the relationships with Rentrak’s studio partnersfor the company’s OnDemand Essentials service and willlead the sales and distribution efforts in the WesternDivision for Rentrak’s linear television measurement serv-ice, TV Essentials. Mr. Sher reports to Carol Hinnant, sen-ior vice president of business development, AMI division.

Scott Denniston Joins NaVOBA

PITTSBURGH — The National Veteran-Owned BusinessAssociation (NaVOBA) announces that it has hired ScottDenniston as its director of programs. Denniston, anArmy veteran, most recently served as direc-tor of the VA’s Center for VeteransEnterprise (CVE) since founding it nineyears ago. As a chief pioneer in the veter-an business movement, Denniston is per-haps the movement's most widely recog-nized and respected advocate. He leavesbehind a lengthy and storied government career as anexecutive with the VA and SBA to work for NaVOBA, anorganization which creates business opportunities for thenation's three million military veterans who own businesses.

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Cozen O'Connor Attorney Steven K.Gerber elected President of RandnorSchool Board

PHILADELPHIA — Steven K. Gerber, a member inCozen O’Connor’s Philadelphia office, has been electedpresident of the Radnor Township (Pa.) board of schooldirectors. The board, which consists of nine electedmembers who serve four-year terms, develops and over-sees the governance policies for the Radnor SchoolDistrict, which has been consistently rated as one of thetop public school districts in the country. Gerber practicesin the firm’s subrogation and recovery department. Hedevotes his practice to the prosecution of complex largeproperty loss subrogation matters, including actions aris-

ing from fires, building collapses, water damage andproduct failures. Gerber has achieved subrogation recov-eries on behalf of clients in scores of actions in numer-ous jurisdictions.

Textron Promotes Scott C. Donnelly toPresident

PROVIDENCE — Textron Inc. announces that ChiefOperating Officer Scott C. Donnelly has been namedpresident in addition to his COO role. As president,Donnelly will continue to oversee all manufacturing oper-ations as well as Textron's Information Technology, SixSigma, Engineering and Global Sourcing functions.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leadership Change at Nestor MarksCompletion of Turnaround

PROVIDENCE — Nestor, Inc., a leading provider ofadvanced automated traffic enforcement solutions andservices, has announced the departure of its CEOClarence A. Davis, CPA. The Company welcomes long-time board member Michael C. James as its new ChiefExecutive Officer on an interim basis. Jameswill take the lead in working with theCompany's Noteholders and negotiat-ing new financing terms. TheCompany is in discussions with itsNoteholders and is confident that thenet results of recent changes will be posi-tive and profitable.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nestor, Inc. Announces Board MemberResignations

PROVIDENCE — Nestor, Inc., a leading provider ofadvanced automated traffic enforcement solutions andservices, has announced that David N. Jordan andGeorge Ball have resigned as members of theCompany's Board of Directors. The Company is notpresently seeking replacements for Mr. Jordan or Mr.Ball. Both cited personal reasons for their departures.

George S. King, Jr. To Lead SCBT’sInvestment Division

COLUMBIA — SCBT announces that George S. King,Jr. has joined the Wealth Management Group as pro-gram manager for the Investment Services division. Withover 20 years of experience in financial management,King has an impressive resume' of accomplishments dur-ing his career, including a 10-year stint as senior financialadvisor for Smith Barney. Prior to joining Smith Barney,King held leadership roles with Bank of Columbia andBank of America. King will help set the vision for thefuture growth and expansion of a key segment of SCBT'snon-interest income core businesses during a period ofsignificant market volatility.

Operation Cares Receives $10,000 fromTriWest

RAPID CITY — Military members may experience adecrease in their family income when they are deployed,which can affect their loved ones back home. For emer-gency assistance, many South Dakota military familieshave turned to Operation Cares for help with rent, utili-ties, medical bills or unanticipated expenses. To ensurethat even more military families can receive the financialaid they need, TriWest Healthcare Alliance contributed$10,000 to Operation Cares. The secretary of the SouthDakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Maj.Gen. Steven Doohen, accepted the contribution fromTriWest's Don Brown, market vice president for theCentral market in Rapid City.

Pinnacle Airlines Corp. Names Brian T.Hunt VP and General Counsel

MEMPHIS - Pinnacle Airlines Corp. has named Brian T.Hunt to the new position of Vice President and GeneralCounsel. Pinnacle Airlines Corp. is the parent companyof Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. and Colgan Air, Inc. Hunt joinsPinnacle after an 18-year career at ATA Airlines where hewas Senior Vice President, General Counsel andSecretary. His previous experience includes private prac-tice at Baker & Daniels, LLP and Riley Bennett & Egloff,LLP, both in Indianapolis.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Americans Focusing on PersonalEnergy Use to Save Money in CurrentEconomic Downturn

NASHVILLE — The majority of middle classAmericans want to do their part to useless energy, but are more likely to act ifthe change will save them money,according to a national survey on ener-gy conservation released by the Burton G.Bettingen Foundation. Seventy-three percent of respon-dents indicated that they were concerned or very con-cerned about energy conservation. Nearly half (46%)indicated that they see energy conservation as a way tosave money. The survey was commissioned to gaugeattitudes about energy consumption among middle-income Americans and to determine what averageAmericans might be willing to do to increase energy con-servation in their daily lives.

H-E-B Chairman/CEO named TCTAFriend of Education

AUSTIN — Charles Butt of San Antonio, chairman andchief executive officer of H-E-B, has been selected as theTexas Classroom Teachers Association 2008-09 Friendof Education in the private citizen category. TCTA pres-ents the award annually to honor an individual who hasshown extraordinary commitment to public education inTexas. Founded in 1927, TCTA is an independent,nonunion association for Texas teaching professionalsand serves 50,000 members across the state. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lee Resigns, Wright Appointedas New TRS Chairman

AUSTIN — Jim Lee, chairman of theTeacher Retirement System of Texas(TRS), has announced his resignationfrom the TRS Board to pursue a newbusiness venture. Governor Perry has appointed LinusWright, the board's vice chair, as the board's new chair-man. TRS manages a more than $80 billion pension fundand serves more than 1.2 million public and higher edu-cation employees and retirees in Texas.

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Gov. Rick Perry Appoints Three toStephen F. Austin State UniversityBoard of Regents

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry has appointed three mem-bers to the Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU)Board of Regents for terms to expire Jan. 31, 2015. Theappointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

Valerie E. Ertz of Dallas is owner and president ofVEE Services Inc. She is a member of the Public AffairsClub, and the Southern Methodist University and SFASUAlumni associations. Ertz received a bachelor's degreefrom Southern Methodist University and a master'sdegree in management from Troy State University. She isbeing reappointed.

Scott Coleman of Houston is a dentist in privatepractice. He is a member of the American DentalAssociation, Greater Houston Dental Association, andAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is an Eagle Scoutand Boy Scout Troop 13 Committee Chair, and a mem-ber of the Boy Scout Council Board of Directors.Coleman received a bachelor's degree from SFASU anda doctorate of dentistry from the University of TexasDental Branch. He replaces Paul Pond of Dallas.

Steve D. McCarty of Alto is retired athletics directorat SFASU. He is chair of the Alto Community EconomicDevelopment Council, and a past member of theNortheast Texas Regional Mobility Authority, NationalCollegiate Athletic Association and National Associationof Collegiate Athletic Directors. He is also a member ofMasonic Lodge #2 and the Nacogdoches Rotary Club.

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If...the machine of government...is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law.— Henry David Thoreau

McCarty received a bachelor’s and master’s degree ineducation from SFASU. He replaces Joe Max Green ofNacogdoches.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magic Logix, Inc. Welcomes SteveLindley, Executive Consultant

DALLAS — Magic Logix, Inc. announces the addition ofSteve Lindley, Executive Consultant. Mr. Lindley joins theSales team providing new clients valuable Web Design,Web Development and Online Marketing Services.Lindley joins Magic Logix, Inc. with years of experience inthe technology industry. His past experience in Salesand calling on B2B accounts, has afforded Steve first-hand experience of the challenges that business ownersface when growing their business. Lindley's experiencehas helped him develop an in depth understanding ofeach client's needs and goals, and he intends to applythose skills to increase the ROI for Magic Logix, Inc'sclients. He believes daily prospecting is a must to driveinterest for the product. “Planning for the future takescare of the present” is his creed.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thompson & Knight Names New TrialPractice Leader

DALLAS — The global law firm of Thompson & KnightLLP has named Partner Joseph S. Pevsner as

Trial Practice Leader. In his new role, Pevsnerwill be responsible for overseeing the Firm’sresources in preparing and trying casesacross a wide spectrum of practice areas,

industries, and jurisdictions. The Firm’s trialteam includes more than 150 trial and appellate

lawyers in the U.S. and other countries. More than 40 ofThompson & Knight’s trial partners are included in TheBest Lawyers in America® 2009, a national directory list-ing the top U.S. attorneys.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rodney Morris Named Chief PeopleOfficer for Raising Cane’s

DALLAS — Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers®, one ofthe fastest-growing restaurant chains in the U.S., hasnamed Rodney Morris as chief people officer. In thisnewly created position, Morris will manage recruitment,employee relations, compensation, benefits, risk man-agement, training, development and the Cane’s Lovecrewmember recognition and reward program. Morrisbrings more than 20 years in the hospitality industrydirectly involving training and human resource functionsto Raising Cane's. He will be based at the newly openedDallas Restaurant Support Office.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

CITGO Petroleum Corporation ReceivesENERGY STAR Award

HOUSTON — CITGO Petroleum Corporation hasreceived the prestigious ENERGY STAR award for itsheadquarters building on Eldridge Parkway in Houston.The ENERGY STAR award from the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) recognizes businesses forsuperior energy efficiency and environmental protection.Buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an averageof 40 percent less energy that typical buildings andrelease 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmos-phere. CITGO also is in the process of obtainingLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)certification for its headquarters building. The LEEDGreen Building Rating System™ encourages and accel-erates global adoption of sustainable green building anddevelopment practices, such as waste reduction, energyand water conservation and reduction of greenhouse gasemissions. Based in Houston, CITGO is a refiner, trans-porter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants,petrochemicals, refined waxes, asphalt and other indus-trial products. The company is owned by PDV America,Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos deVenezuela, S.A., the national oil company of theBolivarian Republic of Venezuela.---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baker Hughes Appoints Russell J.Cancilla Vice President of HS&E andSecurity

HOUSTON - Baker Hughes Incorporated announces thatRussell J. Cancilla, 57, has been appointed VicePresident of HS&E and Security. In this position, he willreport to Chad Deaton, Chairman, President and ChiefExecutive Officer. "Over the last two and a half years,

Russ Cancilla successfully established a world-classsecurity function at Baker Hughes. His broad skill set andinternational experience will be a significant asset in hisnew role and will add to the capability of our leadershipteam," said Chad C. Deaton, Baker Hughes' president,chairman and chief executive officer.----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Buckingham Names Deborah MahrtDirector of Lifestyles

HOUSTON — The Buckingham retirementcommunity has announced the appoint-ment of Deborah Mahrt as director oflifestyles. The announcement Mahrts’appointment was made by Julie Fenske, executive direc-tor of The Buckingham retirement community. Mahrtbrings more than a decade of experience working withseniors to her new position and was recently presentedthe 2008 award for Outstanding Achievement in the Fieldof Gerontology from the University of Texas at HoustonSchool of Nursing Center on Aging. As the director Mahrtwill plan, coordinate and implement programs and eventswhich provide senior residents with socialization opportu-nities, fitness and wellness activities, educational andrecreational programs, and spiritual enrichment based onthe needs and preferences of the residents.

Ken Peterson joins MasterControl

SALT LAKE CITY — Master Control Inc., a globalprovider of GxP process and document managementsoftware solutions for life science companies,announces that Ken Peterson has joined the companyas a CAPA Solutions Architect. His responsibilitiesinclude enhancing MasterControl solutions and incorpo-rating best practices for managing CAPAs and otherquality-related processes. He'll also serve as the com-pany's CAPA product manager.

Ed Kiniry, Outdoor Industry Leader, isNew Vermont Organic Fiber Co. CEO

MIDDLEBURY — Vermont Organic Fiber Company(VTOF), the nation’s leading manufacturer of fabrics,blankets, and hand knitting yarn made with certifiedorganic wool, has hired veteran outdoor industry entre-preneur Edward (“Ed”) Kiniry as CEO. Kiniry will beresponsible for driving the growth of the company’s popu-lar O-Wool® brand of products made with wool grownand certified to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’sorganic standard. Formerly, he was president ofWinterquest, LLC, the parent company of Tubbs andAtlas snowshoes, selling the company to K2 Inc. in 2003.Kiniry is credited with the re-invention of snowshoeing asa $100 million worldwide market.

Timmons Group Selected by New KentCounty, VA to Provide GeospatialConsulting Services

RICHMOND — Timmons Group, a leader ingeospatial and engineering consulting serv-ices, announces that the firm was selectedby New Kent County, Virginia to provide GISstrategic planning services. This contractenables Timmons Group to provide strategic planningconsulting services for the development of an EnterpriseGIS. “The GIS Strategic Plan will serve to guide GISdevelopment and leverage the County’s current GISinvestment,” said Russell Minich, Principal of GeospatialServices for State and Local Government for TimmonsGroup. “Our extensive experience in GIS planning andimplementation coupled with our experience in providingsolutions for state and local government businessenables New Kent County to further their EnterpriseGeospatial Solutions needs in a progressive and costeffective manner”.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Massey Energy Promotes Poma andGillenwater

RICHMOND — Massey Energy announces the promo-tions of John M. Poma to Vice President and ChiefAdministrative Officer and Jeffrey M. Gillenwater to VicePresident - Human Resources.

Reeltime appoints Mark Felgenhauer toCEO, Barry Henthorn continues as CTO

SEATTLE — The board of Reeltime Rentals, Inc. is excit-ed to announce the appointment of Mark Felgenhauer tothe position of CEO. Former Chief Executive BarryHenthorn will continue in his role as Chairman of theBoard, and will continue to concentrate on his position asChief Technology Officer effective immediately. Thesechanges will enable Reeltime to take advantage of recentcontent and distribution deals, as the company continuesto recognize significant revenue opportunities.

Shop ‘n Save opens New Express StoreCreating more jobs for Region

PHILIPPI — SHOP ‘n SAVE announces thegrand opening of a new SHOP ‘n SAVEExpress in Central West Virginia, bringingits area store count to nine. The openingof the new SHOP ‘n SAVE location result-ed in more than 35 new jobs for theregion. Store owners, Craig and LindaPhillips will welcome customers and employeeswhen they officially open the 23,000 square-foot storewith a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. Grand-openingactivities will include in-store demonstrations, sampling ofsignature items from every department, and giveaways.

Loblaw Selects RedPrairie WorkforceManagement (WFM) to Be Leveraged inStores Across Canada

MILWAUKEE — RedPrairie Corporation, a consumerdriven optimization company, has announced LoblawCompanies Limited has purchased RedPrairie’sWorkforce Management (WFM) application for its storesacross Canada. The system will manage over 120,000colleagues. Loblaw is Canada’s largest food distributor,and a leading provider of general merchandise products,drugstore and financial products and services.

WyoTech’s Laramie CampusAnnounces 2008 Dream Award Winner

CHEYENNE — Graduate Jared Beene was recently cho-sen by WyoTech’s Laramie, Wyoming, campus to receivetheir annual Dream Award. The Dream Award is present-ed by each WyoTech campus to an outstanding graduatewho has overcome personal obstacles to change his orher life for the better through education. Beene, ofEdmund, Oklahoma, was in the midst of his training atWyoTech’s Laramie campus when he wasdiagnosed with testicular cancer. Despitethe pain from the growing tumor and thetreatment decisions he needed to make,he was determined to complete his train-ing without interruption. Not only did hecontinue to perform the demanding and rigor-ous tasks required in his Chassis Fabrication coursethroughout his diagnosis and eventual surgery-he alsomade the difficult decision to hold off on chemotherapyuntil after his graduation from WyoTech. Beene’s positiveattitude and determination was inspirational to his class-mates, who raised a record $11,398.92 in a fundraiser toassist Beene financially through his ordeal. Beene gradu-ated from WyoTech on schedule with a degree inCollision/Refinishing Technology and Management. Heimmediately began chemotherapy upon his return toOklahoma and today has a clean bill of health. Beene iscurrently a body technician with OKC Autoworks inOklahoma City.

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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.— Margaret Mead

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Goodbyecontinued from P.14

— with bringing honor to the Air Force.“This is another moment in history that

they share,” he said. “We’re giving him a fit-ting sendoff just like we always do.”

Command Chief James Davis,Andrews’ top noncommissioned officer, rel-ished his base’s role in the inauguration andpresidential departure ceremony. "We are apart of history, from the person working thelogistics to the ones in the cordon to the onesmarching in the parade,” he said.

“We’re all here to honor our formerhonor in chief as he departs,” said Army Sgt.Tyler Murray, one of six members of the 3rdInfantry Regiment “The Old Guard” to servein the joint service honor guard. “PresidentBush has looked out for his troops, and we'rehere to honor him.”

“I’ve been involved in a lot of high-pri-ority missions,” said Army Pfc. JaredRobison, a fellow “Old Guard" soldier. "Butthis one is the highest on my list, personally.”

“It’s wonderful being a part of it, especial-ly as a military member,” agreed Air ForceTech. Sgt. Steven Hawkens, from the 316thSecurity Forces. “It’s breathtaking, it’s exciting,it’s wonderful to see these things going on.”

from his surrogate mother.The Ottos, longtime residents of Boca

Raton, have had many beloved dogs over theyears, but Lancey’s genetic donor wasunique. “Sir Lancelot was the most human ofany dog we’ve ever had,” said Otto. “He wasa prince among dogs.”

Said Hawthorne, “One minute withLancey and you know he’s special. He’s bothextremely aware and very sweet. The Ottosare the first of six current clients to receivetheir clone. The next 6 months will be veryexciting both for our clients and our staff.”

Additional information about the BestFriends Again program and dog cloning isavailable at www.bestfriendsagain.com.More information about BioArts is availableat www.bioarts.com.

BioArts International is a biotech com-pany focused on unique, untapped markets inthe global companion animal, stem cell andhuman genomics industries. The BestFriends Again program is a collaborationbetween BioArts and the Sooam BiotechResearch Foundation in South Korea, hometo the best and most experienced dog cloningteam in the world.

BioArts has been granted the sole,worldwide license for the cloning of dogs,cats and endangered species. The license wasgranted by Start Licensing, Inc. and appliesto the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)cloning patents developed at the RoslinInstitute for the cloning of Dolly the sheep.

Researchcontinued from P.13

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REGISTERNOW!!marketplace,” Gov. Perry said. “This invest-ment is proof positive that programs like theTexas Enterprise Fund are worthwhile uses of

Texas taxpayer dollars, and I urge the Legislature to continue funding thisessential component of our state's competitive economic package.”

Caterpillar Inc. is a leading manufacturer of construction and miningequipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines, and mediumand high speed diesel engines. Last month, Caterpillar announced that it wasmoving one of its primary global assembly, test and paint facilities to Seguin,creating more than 1,400 jobs. The state invested $10 million through the TEFas a deal-closing incentive for the move, which will generate $169.7 million incapital investment. The project is the second largest in terms of job creationand investment this biennium.

“Caterpillar looks forward to the new engine facility in Seguin, which willallow us to improve process capability, flexibility and flow of our operationsto optimize efficiency,” said Gary Stroup, Vice President of Large PowerSystems Division for Caterpillar. “This location brings us closer to our cus-tomers and supply base, and as a result, will reduce freight, logistics andinventory costs.”

With this investment, Caterpillar will consolidate and relocate its assem-bly, paint and testing operations from Illinois and South Carolina to Seguin. Thefacility will provide engines for Caterpillar machines and electric power gener-ation, as well as petroleum, marine, and industrial customers. Those looking toapply for jobs with Caterpillar may visit www. jointeamcaterpillar.com.

“Seguin is good for industry and industry is good for Seguin,” Rep.Edmund Kuempel said. “We are tremendously happy that Caterpillar has cho-sen our city to expand its production, and we look forward to being a goodneighbor and a great place for them to do business.”

“Let there be no mistake about the new Caterpillar in Seguin,” Sen. JeffWentworth said. “It will provide a significant and very beneficial jolt to theeconomies of not only Seguin and Guadalupe County, but to this multi-coun-ty region of Texas.”

At Gov. Perry’s request, the legislature created the TEF in 2003 and re-appropriated funding in 2005 and 2007 to help ensure the growth of Texasbusinesses and create more jobs throughout the state. The fund has sincebecome one of the state's most competitive tools to recruit and bolster busi-ness. To date, the TEF has invested more than $377 million and closed the dealon projects generating over 53,800 new jobs and $14 billion in capital invest-ment in the state.

Caterpillar Breaks Ground onManufacturing Facility in Seguin

He also suggested that he would relievesome of the pressure placed on the military bymore evenly distributing responsibility among

other U.S. government elements.“We have for a long time put enormous pressure on our military to carry

out a whole set of missions, sometimes not with sort of strategic support andthe use of all aspects of American power to make sure that they’re not carry-ing the full load,” he said. "And that's something that I spoke to the chiefsabout and that I intend to change as president of the United States.”

The president added that those involved in this afternoon's meeting in “TheTank,” the secure area in the Joint Chiefs of Staff wing of the Pentagon, agreedto make sure “the health of our force is always in our sights.” Participantsincluded Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, andthe chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps. The commandant of theCoast Guard, though not a member of the Joint Chiefs, also participated.

“I know [they] are constantly thinking about what we need to do to make surethat people who are in uniform for the United States are getting the kinds of supportthat they need and that [their families need], and that’s something that I absolutelyam committed to, and I know that Vice President Biden is as well,” he said.

Some of the most urgent issues facing White House and Pentagon offi-cials include ways forward in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We’re going to have some difficult decisions that we’re going to haveto make surrounding Iraq and Afghanistan most immediately,” Obama said.“Obviously, our efforts to continue to go after extremist organizations thatwould do harm to the homeland is uppermost in our minds.”

“I have every confidence that our military is going to do their job, and Iintend to make sure that the civilian side of the ledger does its job to supportwhat they are doing,” he added.

Obama added that he a “wonderful discussion” with the Joint Chiefsabout short- and long-term threats facing the United States.

“We talked about some of the broader, global risks that may arise, andthe kind of planning and coordination that's going to be required between ourmilitary and our civilian forces in order to accomplish our long term nationalsecurity agendas,” he said.

The president has been engaged with Defense Department and militaryofficials since taking office Jan. 20.

During a meeting at the White House on his first full day in office,Obama directed key defense and military officials to plan for a “responsiblemilitary drawdown in Iraq.” The participants included Gates and Mullen, aswell as Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command.

Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational ForceIraq, also joined the Jan. 21 meeting via teleconference. U.S. Ambassador toIraq Ryan C. Crocker, key Cabinet members and senior national security offi-cials also participated, collectively providing what Obama called “a fullupdate on the situation in Iraq.”

Obama Thanks Troops,Pledges Support FollowingMeeting with Joint Chiefscontinued from page, P.13

continued from page, P.1

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