Theodore M. Wright was elected Chief Executive Officer and President effective December 5, 2011. He was elected Chairman of our board effective December 7, 2010, and has served as a director since September 2003, when the company became a publicly held entity. Mr. Wright was elected Interim Chief Executive Officer and President by our board effective February 27, 2011. Mr. Wright served as the President of Sonic Automotive, Inc., a New York Stock Exchange listed and Fortune 300 automotive retailer, from October 2002 until his retirement in April 2005, and previously served as its Chief Financial Officer from April 1997 to April 2003. Mr. Wright also served on Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s board of directors from 1997 through 2004. From 1995 to 1997, Mr. Wright was a Senior Manager in Deloitte & Touche LLP's Columbia, South Carolina office. From 1994 to 1995, he was a Senior Manager in Deloitte & Touche LLP's National Office of Accounting Research and SEC Services Department. Mr. Wright currently serves on the board of directors of Titan Machinery, Inc., and serves as a member of its audit committee and its compensation committee. Mr. Wright received a B.A. from Davidson College.
Marvin D. Brailsford has served as a director since September 2003. From 1996 until 2002, General Brailsford served as Vice President-Material Stewardship Project Manager for the U.S. government's Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site where he was responsible for managing engineered systems and commodities purchasing. From 1992 to 1996, General Brailsford was president of the Brailsford Group, Inc., a management consulting company, and served as president of Metters Industries, Inc., an information technology and systems engineering company, during this time period. In 1992, he retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant General, after 33 years of service, most recently where he served as Deputy Commanding General Materiel Readiness/Executive Director for Conventional Ammunition at the U.S. Materiel Command in Alexandria, Virginia. Since 1996, General Brailsford has served on the board of directors of Illinois Tool Works, Inc. and has been a member of its audit committee and chairman of its corporate governance and nominating committee. He also serves or has served on the boards of directors of various private and governmental entities. General Brailsford earned a B.S. degree in biology from Prairie View A & M University and a M.S. degree in bacteriology from Iowa State University. He is also a graduate of the Executive Program at the Graduate School of Business Administration, University of California at Berkley; Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government; the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and the Army War College.
Bob L. Martin has served as director since September 2003. Mr. Martin has over 34 years of retailing and merchandising experience. Prior to retiring from the retail industry in 1999, he headed the international operations of Wal-Mart International, Inc. for 15 years. From 1968 to 1983 Mr. Martin was responsible for technology services for Dillard's, Inc. During the previous five years, Mr. Martin served as a director of Dillard's, Inc. until 2006, and currently serves on the board of directors of Gap, Inc., Sabre Holdings Corporation, Furniture Brands International and Guitar Center, Incorporated. He has experience as chairman of the corporate governance committee and compensation committee, and has been a member of the audit committee of publicly held companies. Mr. Martin attended South Texas University and holds an honorary doctorate degree from Southwest Baptist University.
Scott L. Thompson has served as a director since June 2004. Mr. Thompson has been designated as a certified director by the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. Thompson is currently the Chief Executive Officer and President of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc., and a member of its board of directors, positions he has held since October 13, 2008. From May 2008 until October 13, 2008, Mr. Thompson served as Senior Executive Vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Dollar Thrifty. Mr. Thompson retired from Group 1 Automotive, Inc. where he played a major role in the founding and subsequent growth of that New York Stock Exchange listed and Fortune 500 Company. He served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Group 1 from February 2002 until his retirement in January 2004. From 1996 until February 2002, Mr. Thompson served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Group 1. From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Thompson served as Executive Vice President, Operations and Finance for KSA Industries, Inc., a billion dollar diversified enterprise with interests in automotive retailing, investments, energy and professional sports. Mr. Thompson has previously served, during the previous five years, on the board of directors of UAP Holding Corp. through 2008, and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Houston Wire and Cable. Mr. Thompson has extensive experience in automotive retailing, investments, energy and professional sports and is a certified public accountant.
William T. Trawick
William T. Trawick has served as a director of the company since September 2003, when the company became a publicly held entity. Since August 2000, Mr. Trawick has served as Executive Director of NATM Buying Corporation where he oversees the administrative activities of the multi-billion dollar regional group purchasing program of which we are a member. He also functioned as a consultant to our merchandising department until September, 2006. From September 1996 to July 1999, Mr. Trawick served as our Vice President of Merchandising and was responsible for all product purchasing, merchandising and store operations.
Jon E. M. Jacoby
Jon E. M. Jacoby has served as a director since April 2003. In September 2006 Mr. Jacoby was elected Vice Chairman and Senior Principal of Stephens Group LLC, a family-owned investment company, and, on June 30, 2006, was elected as Executive Vice President of SF Holdings, Inc., formerly known as The Stephens Group, Inc. In September 2003, he retired as a Vice Chairman of Stephens Inc., where he was employed since 1963. His positions included Investment Analyst, Assistant to the President and Manager of the Corporate Finance Department and the Special Investments Department for Stephens Group, Inc. During the previous five years, Mr. Jacoby served as a director of Stephens Group, Inc. and its then wholly-owned subsidiary Stephens Inc. until 2006, and of Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. until 2007. Mr. Jacoby has also previously served on the board of directors of Delta and Pine Land Company, Power-One, Inc. and Eden Bioscience Corporation. He received his B.S. from the University of Notre Dame and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Douglas H. Martin has served as a director of the predecessor to the company since 1998, and was appointed a director of the company in September 2003, when it became a publicly held entity. Mr. Martin is an Executive Vice President of Stephens Inc. where he has been employed since 1981. He is responsible for the investment of the firm's capital in private companies. Mr. Martin serves as a member of the board of directors of numerous privately held companies. He received his B.A. in physics and economics from Vanderbilt University and his M.B.A. from Stanford University.
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