Board of Directors
Jimmy Bobo Chief Executive Officer.
William P. Behrens became our non-executive Chairman of the Board on November 9, 2006. Since October 2008, Mr. Behrens has served as Vice Chairman of Fulcrum Securities, Inc. and manager of its New York City office. From October 2001 until September 2008, Mr. Behrens served as the Vice Chairman of Northeast Securities, Inc., where he built a significant presence in private-client advisory services and institutional brokerage. He joined Northeast Securities with over 30 years of experience from Ernst & Company, most recently as Chairman and CEO of Investec Ernest & Company (a wholly owned subsidiary of Investec Group, Ltd.). Mr. Behrens currently serves as an official for the NYSE Alternext US (formerly the American Stock Exchange), has served as a member of the Self-Regulatory Organizations Task Force on Options Reform and has held a variety of senior positions in the financial services industry, including the Securities Industry Association, the Options Clearing Corporation, the American Stock Exchange, and the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA). He is also a director or Volumetric Fund, Inc. and ProPapa Missions America.
Gil Boosidan is currently a Managing Director of GBAF LLC, a private equity investor. Mr. Boosidan was a Senior Vice President of IDT Corporation, a New York Stock Exchange listed company, from 1998 until February 2007. He also served as Treasurer of IDT Investments, Inc., a subsidiary of IDT that managed a substantial portion of IDT's cash and investments. In that role, Mr. Boosidan managed its multi-million dollar fixed income portfolio and coordinated IDT's commercial banking relationships, borrowing, trading and risk management.
Richard D. Ditoro is currently a principal in a consulting firm, Merestone Development. In this capacity, Mr. Ditoro provides due diligence, financial modeling, market research, acquisition candidate profiling and strategic partnering advice and assistance to clients in the life sciences and specialty chemical sectors. Before forming Merestone Development in 1998, Mr. Ditoro held numerous senior management positions, including Vice President of Corporate Development, with Lonza Group, an international chemical conglomerate based in Basle, Switzerland.
Robert L. Franklin is a career investment banker, who has served on numerous corporate and not-for-profit boards of directors. In 2005, he was a founder of the Ariel Savannah Angel Partners LLC, which makes angel risk investments for its members from Savannah, Hilton Head and other Low Country communities. He is chairman and CEO of the Hellcat LLC, the managing member of the Savannh Angels. In November 2004, he joined the Advisory Board of the Institute For Effective Governance, a Washington, DC service organization for responsible trustees. In June 2004, Mr. Franklin completed a term as a director of Berthel Fisher and Company, a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In July 2003, Mr. Franklin was appointed by Massachusetts Governor Romney as a member of the Massachusetts Public Education Nominating Council, on which he served until February 2005. In 2003, he was vice chairman, and in 2004 he was chairman of the Council. From 1998 to 2001, he was a member of the Advisory Board of Directors of the Association of the United States Army. From 1994 to 1999, he was a trustee of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a four-year state college. Mr. Franklin received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University in 1959, and he served as a U.S. Army officer until 1962. He is an instrument-rated private pilot. He is a Life Member of the Union League Club of New York, and a member of the Chatham Club of Savannah, Georgia.
Edwin L. Klett is currently senior counsel with the law firm of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he focuses his practice on corporate litigation. He was a partner in the law firm of Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling from its formation in April 1989 until its merger with Buchanan Ingersoll in July 2006. He has over 40 years of experience in practicing law. A trial attorney with a background in corporate law, banking, securities and business matters, Mr. Klett was selected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to serve a four-year term on the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania in 2006. Mr. Klett is a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the American Board of Trial Advocates, the American Bar Foundation and the American Law Institute. He is a member of the American Bar Association and previously served as a member of the ABA House of Delegates. Mr. Klett was previously a member of the House of Delegates of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and previously served as chairman of the securities and Class Action Committee of the Civil Litigation Section of the state assocaiton. Mr. Klett is also a director of Northeast Securities, Inc.