Association for Corporate Growth - Philadelphia Chapter

ACG Philadelphia Announces Featured Speakers for 4^th Annual M&A East Conference

Arthur Levitt, longest serving SEC Chairman, is among scheduled speakers

Philadelphia, PA, May 19, 2006 - Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Philadelphia is pleased to announce the names of scheduled speakers for its 4^th annual M&A East Conference - The Middle Market Corporate Growth Conference. Among the featured speakers will be Arthur Levitt, Former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission; David Gregory, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent; and David Feherty, CBS Golf Commentator and Author. The Conference will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on October 10-11, 2006.

M&A East offers two days of world-class speakers, educational programs and networking opportunities for over 1,100 professionals from the Mergers & Acquisition ("M&A") and corporate growth community, including private equity firms, corporate executives, investment banks, commercial banks, and a wide variety of service providers.

Mitchell Hollin, President of ACG Philadelphia and Partner of LLR Partners commented, "Our 2006 line-up of keynote speakers represents the highest and most distinguished level of financial expertise, world news commentary and sports broadcasting charisma. We are thrilled with the caliber of speakers."

Kenneth E. Jones, Co-chair of the M&A East Conference and Principal, American Capital remarked, "I am proud that M&A East can consistently draw such well-known and respected names and bring them to the Philadelphia business community."

Now in its 4^th year, M&A East has attracted over 1,100 dealmakers from around the country to the Philadelphia region for a two-day event designed to encourage the exchange of ideas and sourcing of new deals. In 2006, ACG Philadelphia's M&A East is being co-hosted by Wharton Private Equity Partners (www.wpen.org) and The Deal (www.thedeal.com). Co-Chairs for the 2006 event also include Nick Araco, Director, RSM McGladrey; Neil Haimm, Managing Partner, Drinker Biddle; and Christopher Hanssens, Partner, Eureka Growth Capital.

About the Association for Corporate Growth

The Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) is the premiere global community for and about professionals involved in corporate growth. ACG's diverse membership is represented by more than 10,000 leaders who are involved in all phases of corporate growth and M&A. ACG focuses on activities that increase revenue, profits, and ultimately, shareholder value. ACG Philadelphia offers its nearly 400 members, who are leaders in strategic corporate development, private equity, investment banking and M&A, an excellent opportunity for networking, deal exchanges and professional development

Bios of each speaker are provided for your reference.

Arthur Levitt–Former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Arthur Levitt served as the 25th Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). First appointed by President Clinton in July 1993, Chairman Levitt was re-appointed to a second five-year term in May 1998. He has the unique distinction of being the longest serving Chairman in the Commission's history.

During his career as head of the SEC, investor protection was Chairman Levitt's top priority. Throughout his tenure at the Commission, Chairman Levitt worked to educate, empower, and protect America's investors.

Over the past seven years Chairman Levitt has conducted more than 40 investor town meetings throughout the country to listen to the concerns of investors and give them tips on safe and wise participation in the securities markets. Newsweek magazine said that Chairman Levitt fought to effectively "police the Internet's wild investing scams, and bolster the flow of honest and reliable information to investors."

A proven expert in his field, Chairman Levitt has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of the financial reporting process, maintain the independence of auditors, and save investors billions of dollars by reducing spreads in the Nasdaq market. He also promoted the requirement that important information be released to all investors simultaneously, as well as fought Internet fraud and cleaned up the municipal bond market.

Before joining the Commission, Chairman Levitt owned Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill. From 1989 to 1993, he served as the Chairman of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and from 1978 to 1989 he was the Chairman of the American Stock Exchange. Prior to joining the American Stock Exchange, Chairman Levitt worked for 16 years on Wall Street. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College in 1952 before serving for two years in the Air Force.

His book, Take On the Street: What Wall Street and Corporate America Don't Want You to Know, was released to bookstores in October 2002 and his other book; Take on the Street: How to Fight for Your Financial Future was released in November 2003.

David Gregory–NBC News Chief White House Correspondent.
As Chief White House Correspondent for NBC News, David Gregory has begun his sixth year leading the network's coverage of the Bush presidency, reporting regularly on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, Today, for NBC News' 24-hour cable network MSNBC and on MSNBC.com. In addition, Gregory often appears on Hardball with Chris Matthews.

Gregory has covered George W. Bush since the historic campaign of 2000. With the President and Vice President, he has traveled the world, reporting from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Europe on the most important stories of this administration: the 9-11 attacks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Gregory was also part of the NBC team covering the 9-11 attacks reporting from Florida where the President first learned of the catastrophe. He was the only television correspondent to accompany Mr. Bush to Ground Zero for a first hand look three days after the attacks.

During campaign 2000, Gregory was the lead reporter on the Bush campaign, traveling the country with the Bush team, covering both political conventions and reporting from Austin during NBC's special coverage of the unprecedented recount in Florida.

In addition to his coverage of the White House, Gregory is a regular analyst on NBC's Chris Matthews Show on Sunday mornings. He is also a staple on the popular national radio program Imus in the Morning.

Since Joining NBC News, Gregory's assignments have taken him from Los Angeles where he covered the criminal and civil trials of OJ Simpson to Chicago where he covered the historic Midwest floods of 1997, to Denver where he reported on the trial of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Joining the Washington bureau in 1998, Gregory covered the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the impeachment of President Clinton. During that period, he also anchored an afternoon talk show at MSNBC.

Prior to joining NBC News, Gregory spent five years in local news including two years at NBC's flagship west coast affiliate, KCRA Television in Sacramento, Calif. He got his start in broadcasting at KGUN-TV in Tucson, Ariz.

A native of Los Angeles, Gregory graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies from the American University in Washington, D.C. Gregory lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Beth, an attorney in private practice, and their son, Max.

David Feherty–CBS Golf Commentator and Author.
David Feherty was born in the seaside town of Bangor in Northern Ireland. He grew up with aspirations to become an opera singer, until he discovered he had the knack for hitting a golf ball. He jokes about his career change, "I was always interested in music from a very early age. But when I turned pro at age 17, I haven't sung a note since. Now, I only sing to punish my children."

David enjoyed a very successful professional career, with 10 victories worldwide and over $3 million in prize money. He was a regular on the European Tour, with victories including the ICL International, the Italian Open, Scottish Open, South Africa PGA, BMW Open, Cannes Open, and Madrid Open. He captained the winning Irish team in the 1990 Alfred Dunhill Cup. And Feherty played on the European Ryder Cup Team in 1991, an experience that rejuvenated his fervor for golf. This year, David is looking forward to resuming his role as Captain of the International Team at the 2^nd Annual Tommy Bahama Challenge event.

In 1997, David retired from professional golf when offered a position as a golf commentator for CBS Sports. "I always enjoyed talking more than playing, and now CBS is paying me for what I like to do most." David's knowledge of the game and Tour experience give him instant credibility, and his quick wit and colorful personality add a new dimension to golf telecasts. His light-hearted approach to broadcasting is appreciated by golf fans and critics. Writers have called him "The Class Clown of Commentary" and "Golf's Ultimate Wise Guy." And according to a September 2002 Golf Magazine survey, golf fans chose David Feherty as their favorite golf announcer.

David's success extends beyond broadcasting. He is an accomplished author, currently writing an extremely popular monthly column for GOLF Magazine and a bi-weekly piece for their website, Golfonline.com. His books have become bestsellers - including A Nasty Bit of Rough; Somewhere in Ireland, A Village is Missing an Idiot; and David Feherty's Totally Subjective History of the Ryder Cup. In August 2005, Rugged Land will publish his newest collection, An Idiot for All Seasons. David also makes appearances at various clinics and outings throughout the year. In all of his work, David's goal is to encourage people to remember that golf is fun. "I want to entertain people. If I can't make them laugh, I want to make them smile."