Mr. Martin has served as one of our directors and Chairman of the Board since August 21, 2007. Mr. Martin is President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Southwest Corporation. Mr. Martin, who has been associated with Capital Southwest Corporation or its subsidiaries since 1972, has served on its board since 1988 and was named President and CEO in July 2007 and Chairman in July 2008. Previously, he was CEO of The Whitmore Manufacturing Company of Rockwall, Texas, a producer of industrial lubricants and a key portfolio company of Capital Southwest Corporation. Mr. Martin is a director of Capital Southwest Corporation and serves on the board of several of Capital Southwest Corporation's portfolio companies including Alamo Group Inc., a manufacturer, distributer and servicer of equipment for right-of-way maintenance and agriculture (NYSE: ALG) where he serves on the compensation committee. He earned a Bachelor of Business in finance and accounting from the University of Oklahoma. Capital Southwest Venture Corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital Southwest Corporation, beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding common stock.
Thomas C. Hansen Chief Executive Officer, Director
Mr. Hansen has served as one of our directors since September 24, 2009. Mr. Hansen has served as our Chief Executive Officer since August 1, 2009. Mr. Hansen joined Heelys after more than 30 years in advertising and marketing. From October 2005 to July 2009, Mr. Hansen served as President of TM Advertising and was its Chief Marketing Officer from September 2004 to October 2005. From November 2002 to September 2004, Mr. Hansen served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Founding Partner of Gigasphere Group of Companies, a Dallas-based broadband-content delivery service. Mr. Hansen received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Kansas.
Jerry R. Edwards Director
Mr. Edwards has served as one of our directors since March 12, 2008. Mr. Edwards has been CEO and Managing Director of Great Circle Ventures Holdings, LLC ("GCVH") since 2008, which is a private investment company formed by Mr. Edwards to acquire and operate Tail Activewear, Inc., which is a leading Women's golf and tennis apparel company that distributes through pro shops and specialty retailers. Since 2005, Mr. Edwards has been Managing Director of Great Circle Ventures, LLC, which is a private investment firm and leading investor in GCVH. From 1998 until 2006, Mr. Edwards served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and acting Chairman of the Board of DASHAMERICA, Inc., doing business as Pearl Izumi USA, a leading brand of hi-tech, performance apparel and footwear for cycling, running, fitness and other active outdoor sports. In July 2005, Pearl Izumi USA was sold to Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE: NLS) at which time Mr. Edwards was appointed Vice President and President of the Nautilus Apparel and Footwear Division. From 1996 until 1998, Mr. Edwards served as Chief Operating Officer and President of Rodeer Systems, Inc., a transcription services business. Prior to that Mr. Edwards served as an executive of Lee Apparel Company, a division of VF Corporation, and Sales Technologies, Inc., a provider of field sales automation software and services, and in various capacities at Blue Bell, Inc., an apparel company. Mr. Edwards is a director and member of the compensation committee of ChartLogic, Inc. Mr. Edwards received a Bachelor of Science from East Carolina University, completed the USAF Meteorology Officer Program at Texas A&M University and received a Master of Science in systems management from the University of Southern California.
Mr. Hamner has served as one of our directors since May 2000 and was our Chairman of the Board until August 21, 2007. Mr. Hamner became a full-time employee of our company in May 2006 and was one of our Senior Vice Presidents until May 1, 2008. Mr. Hamner continues to provide our company consulting services. Since January 2009, Mr. Hamner has served as a Managing Director of Valesco Industries, a Dallas, TX based private equity firm which is sponsoring the formation of Valesco Commerce Street Capital, L.P., a private equity fund. Prior to May 2006, Mr. Hamner was a Senior Vice President of Capital Southwest Corporation, a publicly traded business development company, and its SBIC subsidiary Capital Southwest Venture Corporation, a firm he served with for 24 years. From July 1998 to July 2007, Mr. Hamner served on the board of directors of Blue Magic, Inc., Jet-Lube, Inc., The RectorSeal Corporation and The Whitmore Manufacturing Company, all of which are chemical or lubricant manufacturing companies and are wholly owned by Capital Southwest Corporation. From October 2001 to October 2002, Mr. Hamner served as Chairman of the National Association of Small Business Investment Companies. Mr. Hamner received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, cum laude, from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin.
Samuel B. Ligon Director
Mr. Ligon has served as one of our directors since June 2000. Mr. Ligon served as Chairman of the Board of Jokari/US, Inc., a consumer products company, from 1975 through July 2006, and served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Smith Abrasives, Inc., a consumer products company from 1993 through July 2007. Mr. Ligon has served since September 2003 as a director and since July 2005 as a member of the audit committee of the board of directors of Capital Southwest Corporation. Since July 2008, Mr. Ligon has served as chairman of the audit committee and a member of the compensation committee of Capital Southwest Corporation. Mr. Ligon has a Bachelor of Science from Auburn University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Mr. McGeachy has served as one of our directors since November 11, 2009. He is currently Chair of the Compensation Committee. Mr. McGeachy has been President and Chief Executive Officer (October 2008), director (December 2008) and Chairman of the Board (May 2009) of Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc., a designer and marketer of branded accessories (NASDAQ: TBAC). From May 2006 to September 2008, Mr. McGeachy was the Vice President of Strategy & Business Development for the Jeanswear Americas coalition of VF Corporation, a worldwide branded lifestyle apparel and related products company (NYSE: VFC). From May 2005 to April 2006, Mr. McGeachy served as the Director, Corporate Strategy for VF Corporation and from January 1999 to April 2005, he served in senior marketing, strategy and general management roles for Russell Corporation, an athletic and sporting goods company, which was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2005. Mr. McGeachy was a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina and earned an MBA from Harvard University.
Mr. Parks has served as one of our directors since January 30, 2008 and served as our Interim Chief Executive Officer from February 1, 2008 until May 20, 2008. Mr. Parks has been involved in the footwear industry since 1965 in various capacities, including sales, management and consulting. Mr. Parks retired in 1999 after a 34-year career in the retail industry, including eight years as Chief Executive Officer of Footaction USA, an athletic footwear and apparel retailer and was inducted into the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame in May 2000. Since 2002, he has served as President of RT Parks, Inc., a retailer of New Balance ® footwear and apparel. Since 2002, Mr. Parks has also served on the board of directors of Hibbett Sports, Inc. (NASDAQ: HIBB), an operator of sporting goods stores. Mr. Parks is on the audit committee and serves as chairman of the compensation committee of the board of directors of Hibbett Sports, Inc. Mr. Parks has served on the board of directors of Kirklands, Inc. (NASDAQ: KIRK), a retailer of home décor items, since 2005 and currently serves on the audit committee and is the chairman of the governance committee. Mr. Parks attended Southern State College in Arkansas (now Southern Arkansas University).
Mr. Peterson has served as one of our directors since May 31, 2007. Mr. Peterson is Chief Executive Officer and President, and a member of the board of directors, of The Whitmore Manufacturing Company of Rockwall, Texas, a producer of industrial lubricants. The Whitmore Manufacturing Company is wholly-owned by Capital Southwest Corporation, where Mr. Peterson has served as a Vice President and an executive officer since 2005 and as a staff member since 2001. Mr. Peterson serves or has served on the board of directors of several of Capital Southwest Corporation's portfolio companies including Balco, Inc., Blue Magic, Inc., BOXX Technologies, Inc., Media Recovery, Inc., PalletOne, Inc., Wellogix, Inc., PharmaFab, Inc., The RectorSeal Corporation, Jet-Lube, Inc. and Smoke Guard Corporation. Prior to joining Capital Southwest Corporation, he was an investment banker advising clients in connection with mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, leveraged buyouts and capital-raising activities with Scott & Stringfellow, Inc. He launched his professional career at Banc One Corporation where he helped underwrite commercial banking facilities as a Credit Analyst. He received a Master of Business Administration with distinction from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. Capital Southwest Venture Corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital Southwest Corporation, beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding common stock.
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