Judith A. Ahrens, age 63, is a Director for the Company. Ms. Ahrens has been involved in the political scene for over twenty years. Her specialized knowledge in the political arena has made her a top consultant for over two decades. Her contributions are not only in domestic matters, but international as well. Her lobbying skills and legislation efforts in agriculture and environmental matters have been instrumental in growth, development and success in startup companies as well as Fortune 100 companies. One of Ms. Ahrens� significant achievements was in lobbying for Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, which led to the eventual passage of the Ethanol tax exemption for the state of California. She also worked with 3M in developing reflective license plates for the state of California. Another achievement of Ms. Ahrens was her assistance in the setup of a $16.3 million international rice contract involving California companies. Ms. Ahrens was also a significant player in supporting the efforts of Genstar to make bids for waste disposal sites through a strong network of key politicians. She also facilitated efforts in the passing of an industrial bond allowing expansion of a flour mill facility in . Ms. Ahrens established and served as the first president of the California Alcohol Fuels Commission. While in Washington, with the Department of Agriculture, she helped coordinate �The Rural Loan Program� formally referred to as �The Farmers Home Loan� with leading lending institutions throughout the United States. She also has acted as Media Consultant for Presidential, Gubernatorial and Congressional candidates including Jimmy Carter, and was the Advance Press Person for former President Carter, Vice President Mondale and then Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland. Most recently Ms. Ahrens worked with Rob Hogg in his successful bid for a seat in the Iowa State Legislature in November 2002. Ms. Ahrens� is currently with National Grant Conferences where she is serving as Head Coordinator (since 1998). |