Frederick C. Berndt, age 35, has an extensive background in banking, having studied Finance and Economics at Geneva College in Pennsylvania. Mr. Berndt began his career in Commercial Banking in 1995. In 1997, he became licensed as an NASD Series 7 and 63, for Rise Securities and became a Partner/Vice President of Berndt & Associates Investment Management, a full service money management firm that was formed in the early 1970's. In 1999, Mr. Berndt passed his Securities Principal's license and became the principal and compliance officer for Rise Securities, Inc. In 2001, Mr. Berndt left Berndt & Associates to pursue a consulting career in investment banking. He consulted for EWRX Internet solutions, an anti-virus software company and also consulted for Hamilton Scientific, a New Jersey based medical software company. In 2002, Mr. Berndt founded Bible Resources, Inc., a private corporation formed for the purpose of oil and gas exploration. He then successfully orchestrated the reverse takeover of The Havana Group, and co-developed this company which is now known as Surge Global Energy, Inc. Mr. Berndt served Surge Global Energy as Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors for three years. In Mr. Berndt's tenure with Surge Global Energy, the market capitalization grew to over $100,000,000. In 2006, Mr. Berndt resigned from Surge Global Energy to pursue other business ventures. Mr. Berndt currently serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 11 Good Energy, Inc.
Mr. Smith's leadership ability, decision making skills, determination, and strength come largely from his longtime involvement in sports, as both an athlete and an official. At St. Cloud State University, Mr. Smith won the 1963 and 1964 National Collegiate NAIA Wrestling Championships. He then placed fourth in the 1964 Olympic Wrestling trials. Mr. Smith's extensive wrestling background steered him to become a wrestling official at the collegiate level. Mr. Smith officiated in 9 NCAA finals, 11 NAIA finals, and a host of additional major college wrestling meets.
In 1977, Mr. Smith joined Cummins Engine Company, managing major accounts for the industrial division. Mr. Smith advanced with Cummins, becoming the Executive Director of National Accounts before leaving Cummins in 1984. Mr. Smith then joined Hercules Engines, Inc. where he gained an extensive knowledge of alternative fuel engines.
In 1998, Mr. Smith joined High Plains Corporation, an ethanol manufacturer headquartered in Wichita, KS, as President and CEO, for the primary purpose of restructuring the company. As a result of Mr. Smith's leadership and restructuring of High Plains Corporation, per share value of High Plains increased from 69 cents to $5.86 per share. Mr. Smith coordinated the Spanish company Abengoa's acquisition of High Plains Corporation for the offered price of $5.86 per share. After the successful restructuring and sale of High Plains, Mr. Smith elected to leave the company and pursue other business interests, leaving behind the solid management team that he created. Mr. Smith remained on the High Plains-Abengoa Board of Directors for 3 years following the acquisition by Abengoa.
Today, Mr. Smith lives in Canton, Ohio with his wife of 47 years. Mr. Smith serves on the Board of Directors for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK and the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH. Mr. Smith serves as Chief Operating Officer and Director for 11 Good Energy, Inc. As COO, Mr. Smith's duties consist of providing strategic planning advice in the areas including, but not limited to, marketing strategies; developing strategic alliances with suppliers, affiliations, and end users; assisting in attracting key personnel; general business consulting and operations.
Daniel T. Lapp, 40, Mr. Lapp began his accounting and finance career 15 years ago as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, in Washington D.C., planning and performing audits for the government contractor, high technology and oil and gas industries. His public accounting experience lead to the position of manager of operational/internal audits for Harman International Industries, Inc., an international Fortune 1000 electronics manufacturer. This position focused on financial audits of all aspects of the balance sheet, review of the internal control environment, and analysis of manufacturing facilities for accounting and asset valuation issues and performing due diligence procedures for potential acquisition targets. Mr. Lapp planned and performed the accounting/operational audits of over 50 subsidiary companies within this company. Over his career, Mr. Lapp has also has built and extensive knowledge of accounting system management and contract review to complement his internal audit and public accounting experience. Mr. Lapp graduated from Kent State University and is a licensed CPA. Mr. Lapp currently serves as a Director and CFO of 11 Good Energy, Inc.
Mr. Lane entered the securities industry in May 1969 with a bank-trading firm in New Jersey. He formed Lane Capital Markets, LLC in 2001 as an Investment Banking Partnership. Mr. Lane has managed/co-managed over 45 IPO or Secondary transactions and has participated in hundreds of underwriting and selling groups since the early 1990's. Prior to forming Lane Capital Markets, he held the position of Managing Director of Capital Markets at a New York based firm in Fairfield County, Connecticut. He has been associated with several major firms including Boettcher & Co., Advest & Co. and Dain Raucher. Mr. Lane has served as officer, director, owner, trader, department manager, corporate finance director and syndicate manager. He has been active in several Fairfield County organizations. Mr. Lane has been quoted in Business Week, Barron's, Forbes, Investment Dealer Digest, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneurial Magazine and several other business publications. Mr. Lane served as a director of the National Investment Bankers Association between 1991-1995 and has served as a director and advisor to several other boards. He is active speaking on issues facing the changing securities industry. Having traveled several times to Washington, D.C. he has lobbied on behalf of the securities industry.
Mr. Lane has been an active member of several SIA committees, including the SIA Small Firms Committee, in which he was Chairman in 1994, the SIA Membership Committee, in which he was chairman for several terms, and also served three years on the SIA Syndicate Committee. He is currently serving as District Chairman for the Security Industry association in the New England district. In 1996, John traveled to China with the SIA for 17 days as a guest of the Chinese government to meet with banks, brokerage firms and the government to discuss experiences in the capital-raising arena and several topics regarding the securities business.
Mr. Lane is currently an NASD mediator working to resolve industry disputes. John was appointed to a three-year term and to serve as chairman for 2002 on the NASD District Business Conduct Committee out of Boston, MA. He has recently completed a three year term on the NASD Small Firm Advisory Board, which meets and recommends solutions to industry issues and their impact on regional and small broker/dealers. Mr. Lane is serving his 3rd three year term on the NASD Corporate Finance Committee and has been active in crafting a policy on the hot topic of research analyst payment for deal gathering. Mr. Lane worked for two years toward the restructuring of the recently adopted NASD's Corporate Finance Rules. Mr. Lane has elected to a one year term on the NASD Advisory Board in 2002, meeting on national issues affecting the securities industry. In September 2002 Mr. Lane was appointed to the NASD Nominating committee, and served as Chairman in 2003 representing the Boston District. Mr. Lane was appointed, in January 2003, to serve on the standing NASD consultive committee designed to provide input to NASD staff on the investigations of disciplinary matters involving emerging regulatory issues, standards of practices, or new practices, or market and securities industry issued where industry expertise would be of value.
Dennis A. Nash has been President, Chief executive Officer and a Director of Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) and it predecessors since 1991. As a young teen, he moved from Alma, Michigan to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania where he later began his career in the transportation industry. He then moved to Akron, Ohio to participate in a transportation management program sponsored by Coastal Industries and attended Kent State University.
After spending several years in the petroleum transportation industry with Coastal, he moved ton to Leaseway Transportation, based in Cleveland, Ohio. With Leaseway, Nash spent the next fifteen years holding senior management positions in operations, sales and marketing.
In 1991, Nash made a decision to join entrepreneurial ranks by forming KAG predecessor company, Advantage Tank Lines, Inc. He has served as President and CEO from the beginning and has taken the company (now known as Kenan Advantage Group) from annual revenues of $7 million in 1992 to over $800 million today. The company is North America's largest bulk transportation and logistics provider to the petroleum and specialty products industries. KAG operates from 100 terminals and 98 satellite locations in 38 states, employs approximately 5,000 people, and is the only fuels delivery business with a national presence.
With respect to industry affiliations, for many years Nash has served on various labor and advisory councils and the Board of Directors for National Tank Truck Carriers and the American Trucking Association. He also serves on the Northwestern University Transportation Center Business Advisory Council. Other professional affiliations include the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Stark Development Board, Dedicated Transport and Mercy Medical Center, where he also serves on the Board's Executive Committee.
Nash has been married to his wife Elizabeth for 32 years and has three daughters. Over the past several years he has been instrumental in major fundraising efforts for Pathway Caring for Children, a nonprofit, Ohio-based organization devoted to providing treatment-oriented care for children and their families.
Ian grew up in a small farming area on the Sunshine Coast, 50 miles north of Brisbane, Australia. The youngest of 6 children, Ian played all sports, like most young Australians, but fell in love with golf at an early age. By the age of 15 Ian had won many junior titles, including the Gary Player Classic and the Queensland School Boys title twice and decided to pursue a career in professional golf. At 18 years of age, after a 3 year apprenticeship with the Australian PGA program, Ian joined the Australian Tour.
Ian won his first Australasian Tour event in 1983; the New Zealand Open and the following year lead the field for 3 rounds of the 1984 British Open at St. Andrews. Multiple victories in Australia in 1984 and 1985 and victories on all four major tours followed, including the Colonial Invitational in 1989 and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1991. Ian represented Australia in the World Cup in 1985, the World Tours Championships 1985-1991, and the Dunhill Cup in both 1989 and 1992.
Ian would serve as Peter Thomson's Vice Captain for the International President's Cup Team in 1996. In 2003 Gary Player appointed Ian as assistant captain for his International team played at The Links at Fancourt in South Africa. In September 2005 Ian has the honor once again to serve with Gary Player and the Internationals when they take on the US Team at the RTJ Golf Club in Virginia, USA. Since retiring from full-time PGA Tour competition in 1997, Ian has worked for the ABC and ESPN Networks as a golf analyst on all the major tours throughout the world. After nearly a decade working in sports television, Ian is highly regarded as a successful announcer with a love for golf and the environment. Ian currently serves as a spokesperson for our company and as a consultant responsible for voice overlays, media/commercials, select corporate events, and macro-strategic planning.