Executive Forum Speakers: As of March 11, 2010
 Introducing Jeff Lefebvre,
2009 Forum Moderator
Jeff Lefebvre, Ph.D., is the founder of PriSim Business War Games (creator of AED’s "Test Drive" dealer simulation business course), a management education and consulting firm that is dedicated to empowering organizations through the evolution and advancement of their one sustainable competitive advantage – the knowledge capital of their employees. He consults with companies in diverse industries, and assists them in formulating and implementing actionable visions and strategies to capitalize on changing environments. Lefebvre is also a faculty member at Northwestern University, Harley-Davidson University and a member of the master faculty at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s School of Mortgage Banking. Prior to starting PriSim, Lefebvre worked with the world headquarters division of Andersen Consulting (now Accenture). At Anderson, he led information technology, strategy, reengineering, business process design and systems integration engagements. He has a Masters degree and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Sponsored by BDO Seidman
Speakers:
 Garry Bartecki
Staff Vice President for Finance and Administration
Associated Equipment Distributors
Garry Bartecki is AED’s staff vice president of Finance and Administration. He has more than 25 years of experience as a CPA serving clients in the lift truck, heavy construction equipment and leasing industries. He has extensive working knowledge and hands on experience in financial management, budgeting and cash flow analysis, acquisitions and divestitures, ownership transition, enhancing dealer value, fleet management and profitability. Bartecki recently retired as director of distributor services for BDO Seidman and started his own company – GB Financial Services. He is an active member of the Material Handling Equipment Dealers Association (MHEDA), AED, the Illinois CPA Society, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Association for Corporate Growth. Bartecki has a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from Roosevelt University.
 Jeff Davis
Publisher and Editor, Transportation Weekly
Jeff Davis is the publisher and editor of Transportation Weekly, a news service that monitors and analyzes federal legislative and regulatory developments dealing with transportation and public works. In 1990, Davis began working for Tennessee Rep. James H. Quillen, then the ranking minority member on the House Rules Committee. In the 102nd and 103rd Congresses, he also assisted Rep. Quillen with his duties as ranking minority member on the Subcommittee on the Legislative Process. In January 1996 Davis left Capitol Hill and joined a consulting firm specializing in transportation. He worked extensively on the FAA Reauthorization of 1996, the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, as well as various appropriations bills. He started his own consulting business, the Legislative Services Group, in June 1998 and started Transportation Weekly in 1999. Davis has a Bachelor of Science degree in Government from American University.
 David Felts
Managing Director, Brookwood Associates
David Felts is the managing director of Brookwood Associates, an investment banking boutique dedicated to serving the middle market. Felts has a sophisticated understanding of the industrial and construction equipment rental industry, having successfully closed both sale and capital-raise transactions in the space. He and his team are currently advising several other privately-owned companies in the rental equipment/distribution space on strategic and financing options. Prior to joining Brookwood Associates in 2003, Felts was a founding partner of Equity Capital Partners, a private equity fund focused on making control investments in middle-market companies throughout the Southeast, and was also a director with Prudential Securities’ investment banking group. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and a Masters of Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
 Kris Foster
Central U.S. Sales Manager, Wells Fargo Construction
Kris Foster is the central U.S. sales manager for Wells Fargo Construction, a division of Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc. Foster actively manages all aspects of the central region, including sales, credit and funding. Under his leadership, the 12 territory managers that cover 22 States will produce several hundreds of millions of dollars in new construction equipment finance business in 2009. He is also the primary point of contact for Wells Fargo Construction's major dealer relationships in the Central U.S. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Construction in 2007, Foster was a consistent top producing territory manager in the construction, mining and aviation industries. During his 12 years in equipment finance, Foster has worked with The CIT Group, PNC Equipment Finance and Case Credit.
 Mike Gibbons
Corporate Equipment Manager, The Walsh Group
Mike Gibbons has been with The Walsh Group for more than 10 years and currently leads the management and operations of company's construction fleet. Prior to this, he worked on a wide variety of product lines while in project management for both the building and heavy civil side of the business.
 Dave Gorski
Shop Administrator, K-Five Construction
Dave has worked for K-Five Construction for 15 years. As the Shop Administrator he writes specifications and maintenance procedures, and procures equipment. He oversees all operations of equipment management and electronic maintenance for more than 600 pieces of equipment, and supervises a staff of 30. Dave has been a member of AEMP (Association of Equipment Management Professionals) for 10 years and is currently on its Board of Directors. He graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., with a degree in accounting.
 Kenneth J. Hedlund
Principal, Somerset CPAs
As the principal of Somerset CPA’s Construction and A/E Team, Ken Hedlund routinely consults with construction, architect and engineering clients on operational and efficiency issues. He has spoken to various organizations, including the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), Indiana Subcontractors Association and BDO Seidman, on tax, accounting and management issues specifically related to the construction and design industries. Hedlund writes for several publications, including the Indianapolis Business Journal, Hoosier Contractor and Equipment Today. He serves on several boards of directors, including the ABC of Indiana, Archdiocese of Indianapolis and Indianapolis Parks Foundation. He was the founding executive committee chairman of BDO Seidman Alliance’s Construction Industry Group, and is currently chair of the Business Development/Value-Add Committee. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University in 1982.
 Greg Kittle
CEM, William Charles Ltd.
William Charles of Rockford, Ill., specializes in roads and highways, commercial and residential sitework, rail and intermodal sitework, landfill, underground utilities, and paving. Its aggregates division comprises sand/gravel, limestone, and asphalt production. Its Environmental Contractors, Inc. handles soil remediation, landfill capping, underground storage tank removal, and demotion. William Charles Construction's heavy/highway division has an extensive fleet of equipment, which the company constantly updates and modernizes to take advantage of emerging technologies and safety equipment. Its portfolio of projects is extensive throughout Illinois and includes Union Pacific Railroad projects in Arizona and California. Because of its financial strength, legal expertise, and extensive equipment fleet, William Charles pursues projects of all sizes and is positioned at the industry's forefront - from consulting and general contracting to design/build and highway, residential, and commercial construction.
 Donald R. McNeeley, Ph.D.
President and COO, Chicago Tube and Iron Corp.
Dr. Donald McNeeley is the president and chief operating officer of Chicago Tube and Iron Corp., a multimillion dollar steel company in Chicago. McNeeley is also an adjunct professor at Northwestern University, where he teaches the capstone course in the McCormick Graduate School of Engineering. He is a published author and a well-respected public speaker on topics related to business, the steel industry and economics. McNeeley has served as chairman of the Metals Service Center Institute, a management trustee of the Pipe Fitters’ Union Local 597, and director of the Vail Rubber Company in St. Joseph, Mich. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in business, an MBA in business with a concentration in human resource development, as well a Master of Science in management and organizational behavior. In addition, he holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree with a concentration in economics.
 Robert Nadeau
Managing Principal, Industrial Performance Group
Robert Nadeau is the managing principal of the Industrial Performance Group, a company dedicated to helping manufacturers and distributors increase sales and improve profitability. Nadeau is an internationally recognized author and speaker on the subject of manufacturer and distributor working relationships. For the past 17 years, Nadeau has actively worked with manufacturers and dealers throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia to help them achieve measurable business results by strengthening their working relationships. He was responsible for the design and administration of the landmark study titled, Report Card on Manufacturer/Distributor Relationships, published in 1994. A follow-up study was conducted and published in 2003.
 Antone B. Perrone
Principal, FMI Investment Banking Group
Tony Perrone is a principal in FMI’s Investment Banking Group, specializing in the areas of valuations and mergers and acquisitions. Perrone is involved in representing buyer or seller clients in the construction materials, concrete products and equipment manufacturing and distribution sectors of the construction industry, along with FMI’s traditional engineering and contracting firm clients. He also manages FMI’s business and stock valuation practice, where he performs appraisals for companies for all of FMI’s construction industry clients. Peronne is currently the chief compliance officer for FMI’s registered broker/dealer, FMI Capital Advisors, Inc., where he holds General Principal (Series 24), FinOP (Series 28), and General Securities Representative (Series 7) licenses from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Association of Securities Dealers. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Columbia University.
 David Raso
Senior Managing Director, ISI Group
David Raso is the senior managing director for the International Strategy and Investment Group (ISI) in New York. Focused on machinery stocks, Raso is the head of industrial equity research at the firm. He joined the ISI Group in December 2008, after eight years at Citigroup/Smith Barney as a managing director in equity research. Prior to Citigroup/Smith Barney, Raso was a vice president at Lehman Brothers, where he started in 1996. He has been voted the No. 1 analyst for machinery stocks in each of the past eight Institutional Investor magazine All-America Research teams, as well as voted No. 1 in each of the past eight Greenwich Associates polls. Raso has an MBA in Finance and Accounting from New York University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University.
 Brad Rosynek
Central Region Procurement Manager, Sims Metal Management North America
Brad Rosynek is the Central Region Procurement Manager for Sims Metal Management North America and is responsible for managing all procurement related functions across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. Since graduating from Illinois State University with a B.S. in Business Management in 2001, Brad has held positions of increasing responsibility within the procurement field; he has been with Sims Metal Management for two and a half years years. Sims Metal Management is the world's, as well as North America and Australasia's, largest metal and electronics recycler. Sims Metal Management today has over 230 locations on 4 continents, and 7,500 employees.
 John Salek
Manager of Finance
John Salek is a Manager of Finance for the Fischer Companies, a growing mid-size and diversified construction company. Born and raised in Northern New Jersey, he moved west and completed a Masters degree in economics. Salek started his career with The CIT Group in Finance & Leasing and held sales, management and corporate development positions with Deutsche Bank, ORIX Credit Alliance and CitiCapital. His 30 year experience includes, underwriting, growth & management of hundred million dollar portfolio, sales management and training of regional national sales staff in direct marketing. As a vice president and sales manager for national accounts in the construction industry, he was responsible for marketing and implementation of manufacturer programs and dealer sponsored financial incentive plans. He has a proven track record as a finance professional in the construction industry for money and banking and providing financial tools for success.
 Steve Sandherr, Esq.
CEO, Associated General Contractors of America
Steve Sandherr is the chief operating officer of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). He joined the AGC staff in 1984 as assistant director of collective bargaining services. From 1986 to 1989, he served as the AGC's director of congressional relations. He practiced law with the firm of Thompson, Mann and Hutson in Washington, D.C. from 1989 to 1990, and served as labor and small business counsel for the National Association of Home Builders from 1990 to 1991. He rejoined the AGC as executive director of congressional relations in 1991, and was promoted to chief executive officer in 1997. His role as CEO is to maintain relations with the AGC's chapters nationwide, coordinate government relations activities and enhance the AGC's involvement with business coalitions. Sandherr has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Scranton and a law degree is from the Catholic University of America. He is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia.
 Roger T. Stelle
Partner, Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle LLC
Roger Stelle is a partner with the law firm Meltzer, Purtill & Stelle, which provides high quality legal representation in business and commercial transactions, real estate transactions, commercial finance, commercial litigation and financial institution regulatory matters. The law firm has locations in Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill., and has an emphasis on asset-based and construction lending, sales and purchases of businesses, representation of land developers and builders, general business representation and lifetime and estate planning. Stelle concentrates his practice of law in mergers and acquisitions – working with clients from the preparation of the letter of intent through the closing and beyond. He also provides counsel in the areas of corporate and business law, and real estate. Stelle has both a Bachelor of Science degree and an M.B.A. from Northwestern University. He received his J.D. from Indiana University, and an LL.M. from John Marshall Law School. He is a member of the Chicago and Illinois State Bar Associations.
 Dana Telford
Author, Speaker, Trusted Advisor
Dana Telford is a trusted advisor to business leaders and business families, specializing in succession planning, strategy and governance. He has been a guest lecturer at several universities, including the Harvard Business School, USC, Cal State Fullerton, University of Utah, Gonzaga University and the American University of Kuwait. Telford has co-authored two books: the national bestseller, The Integrity Advantage: How Taking the High Road Creates a Competitive Advantage in Business and Integrity Works: Strategies for Becoming a Trusted, Respected and Admired Leaders. Telford has also been a guest on ABC and FOX television. His research and writing has been quotes by Investor’s Business Daily, The Chicago Tribune, The Orange County Register, Toronto Globe and Mail, Salt Lake Tribune and The Deseret News. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Utah.
 Jade West
Senior Vice President for Government Relations
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
Jade West is the senior vice president of government relations for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), one of AED's closest allies in Washington. West oversees NAW's legislative activities on Capitol Hill, and serves as the executive director of NAW's Wholesaler-Distributor Political Action Committee. Prior to joining NAW, West served as the staff director for the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee. She is one of Washington's most prominent and well-connected business lobbyists. West was responsible for organizing and managing the coalition that helped enact President Bush's 2001 tax bill and the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which is leading the fight against card check. NAW also runs the LIFO Coalition, which AED helped form in 2006.
 Jeff Whitcomb
Midwest Regional Vice President, People's Capital & Leasing Corp.
Jeff Whitcomb is the Midwest Regional Vice President for People's Capital & Leasing Corp., a subsidiary of People's United Bank. Whitcomb started his career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the audit and consulting practice and has worked in the equipment leasing and finance industry for the last decade. He founded eMarket Capital in 1999 and served as CFO/CIO and later as director of sales for four years. He then joined De Lage Landen Financial Services in May 2006 as a regional finance manager. He was promoted to director of new business development for the Construction and Industrial group in December 2006 and served in that role for two years. He has twice been a speaker at the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association's annual meeting. He is known for his skills as a negotiator in complex sales environments and for his knowledge of the construction industry.
 Tony Wolf, CTP
Managing Director
Tony Wolf is a Managing Director in the Dallas office of BDO Consulting Corporate Advisors, LLC and a Certified Turnaround Professional. He has over 25 years of experience in corporate restructuring, industry and executive management with particular emphasis on strategy validation, process and profit enhancement, operations improvement, workouts, and reorganization strategy. His industry expertise includes aerospace, telecommunications, trucking, oilfield services, heavy equipment sale and distribution, heavy construction services, metals fabrication, agricultural processing, food distribution, restaurants, medical products, and government contractors. He is also the Co-National Director of BDO Consulting Corporate Advisors LLC.
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