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, a business development company (Nasdaq: CSWC). Mr. Martin, who has been associated with Capital Southwest Corporation or its subsidiaries since 1972, has served on its board of directors since 1988 and was named President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2007 and Chairman of the board of directors in July 2008. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of The Whitmore Manufacturing Company of Rockwall, Texas, a producer of industrial lubricants and a key portfolio company of Capital Southwest Corporation. Mr. Martin also serves on the board of directors 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 President, CEO and Chairman of the board of directors 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 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, a private investment firm founded in 2006 and a leading investor in GCVH. From 1998 until 2006, Mr. Edwards served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and acting Chairman of the board of directors of DASHAMERICA, Inc., doing business as Pearl Izumi USA, a 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 of Nautilus 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 the Company in May 2006 and was one of our Senior Vice Presidents until May 1, 2008. Mr. Hamner provided the Company consulting services from April 2008 through June 2010. Since January 2009, Mr. Hamner has served as a Managing Director of Valesco Industries, which manages Valesco Commerce Street Capital, L.P., a Small Business Investment Company based in Dallas, Texas. Prior to May 2006, Mr. Hamner was a Senior Vice President of Capital Southwest Corporation, a publicly traded business development company (Nasdaq: CSWC), and its SBIC subsidiary Capital Southwest Venture Corporation, a firm with which he served 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.
N. Roderick McGeachy, III Director
Mr. McGeachy has served as one of our directors since November 11, 2009. Mr. McGeachy has been President and Chief Executive Officer (October 2008), director (December 2008) and Chairman of the board of directors (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 a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. He is also a member of the Young Presidents' Organization.
Mr. Neblett joined our Board on August 25, 2010. Mr. Neblett is a Vice President at Capital Southwest Corporation, a business development company (Nasdaq: CSWC). Immediately prior to joining Capital Southwest Corporation in May 2010, Mr. Neblett was an investment banker with Houlihan Lokey for 10 years, advising clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, restructurings and capital-raising activities. He holds undergraduate (Bachelor of Business, accounting) and graduate (Master of Business Administration, finance) degrees from Baylor University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Neblett serves on the board of directors of the Capital Southwest Corporation portfolio companies Balco, Inc., KBI Biopharma Inc., PalletOne, Inc. and Trax Holdings, Inc. Capital Southwest Venture Corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital Southwest Corporation, beneficially owns more than 5% of our outstanding common stock.
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. Strup was elected to our Board December 9, 2010. Mr. Strup is a retired consumer package goods executive with over 35 years of senior level domestic and international experience in marketing, finance, strategic planning and general management. Mr. Strup was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy for Reyes Holdings, L.L.C., a leading food and beverage wholesale distributor serving customers throughout the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, from 2003 until his retirement in June 2011. Prior to Reyes Holdings, Mr. Strup was an executive at the Miller Brewing Company for 14 years where he spearheaded the commercial agreement and integration into South African Breweries, managed the company's international business, and served as the Global Chief Marketing Officer. Prior to Miller Brewing Company, he held various marketing and financial positions in both the domestic and international divisions of Frito Lay, PepsiCo and General Foods Corp. His marketing expertise was acknowledged with "Advertising Campaign of the Year" honors in 1993 for Miller Genuine Draft in the U.S. and again in 1996 for Miller Pilsner in the U.K. Mr. Strup also has extensive knowledge in sports marketing being recognized six times in the Sporting News magazine's "Top 100 Most Powerful People" in sports. Mr. Strup currently serves on the board of directors of Atlantica, Inc. (OTC: ATTC), The Big Shoulders Fund (a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide support to Catholic schools in the neediest areas of inner-city Chicago), the Art of Olympians Foundation in Ft. Myers, Florida and the Maryland Baseball Holding Company (owner of several minor league teams). Previously he served on the board of directors of The Radiate Group, a division of Omincom Group, Inc. (NYSE: OMC) from 2005 through 2010. He is a long-standing member of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management Alumni Board and is a recipient of the school's "Pete Henderson Society" award for meritorious service. Mr. Strup earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Denison University, and a Master of Business Administration in marketing and finance from Northwestern University.
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