Howard G. Barnett, Jr.                                

        After receiving his B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Tulsa and J.D. from Southern Methodist University, Mr. Barnett practiced law in Tulsa, Oklahoma, working primarily in securities, corporate and transaction law.  In his practice, Mr. Barnett represented primarily small to medium sized entrepreneurial companies in a number of different types of transactions from IPO's and private securities offerings to mergers and complex debt financings.

        In 1985, Mr. Barnett joined Tribune/Swab-Fox Companies, Inc.  After its IPO in 1989, what was then called T/SF Communications Corporation was a public company.  Mr. Barnett rose to CEO in 1993, and served in such capacity until the 1997 sale of T/SF Communications to VS&A Communications Partners II, a New York buy-out fund.

        After the sale of T/SF Communications, Mr. Barnett served a year as the Director of Business Development for New York-based The Official Information Company and led numerous successful acquisition and new venture efforts, including several in Europe.  In 1998, Mr. Barnett was appointed Secretary of Commerce and the Director of the Department of Commerce for the State of Oklahoma. In 1999, he became Chief of Staff to Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, serving until January 2003.

         Mr. Barnett is a current member of the Board of a variety of civic organizations including Tulsa Metro Chamber (past Chairman), Leadership Oklahoma (past President), Oklahoma Academy for State Goals (Executive Committee), Philbrook Art Museum, Center for Nonprofits, Youth Services of Tulsa (Chairman, Development Advisory Committee), Governor's Council on Science and Technology, and Tulsa Centennial Committee (co-chair).