Over the course of his successful career, Max F. James has established himself as a distinguished military pilot, an innovative entrepreneur, and a generous philanthropist. In 1960, James joined the United States Air Force Academy where he earned a spot on the Superintendent’s List almost every semester. After completing his training, he began an assignment with the Astronaut Recovery Program at Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral. James then volunteered for the Vietnam War as a Jolly Green rescue pilot. While touring Southeast Asia, he participated in 200 combat flight missions, was shot down twice, and received 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 8 Air Medals. Noted for his bravery, Max F. James helped rescue 10 fallen aircrew members, including a peer from his days at the Air Force Academy.

From there, James earned his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and began a career in real estate. Honing his skills as a business executive, he later operated as Chairman of the Board for the Salt Lake International Center; President of Miller Properties; and Executive Vice President of Days Inns of America, Inc. The proprietor of 18 hotels, James received the honor of joining the California Tourism Board of Directors from the Governor of California.

Presently, Max F. James owns American Kiosk Management, LLC and North American Kiosk, LLC, which, when combined, operate in over 800 locations in the United States and Canada, with revenues of approximately $150 million annually.

Additionally, he founded and serves as the Chairman of the Camp Soaring Eagle Foundation, a medically based camping program for children with life threatening illnesses. Max James was the first inductee into the $25 billion Specialty Retail Hall of Fame and the recipient of the Al Kushner Breakthrough Innovation Award.  He was selected for the Air Force Academy’s most prestigious honor, the Distinguished Graduate Award.  James serves on an Advisory Board of the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, the Founders’ Board of Directors of the United States Air Force Academy Endowment Foundation, and supports the Muhammad Ali Parkinson’s Research Center, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and other worthy charitable organizations.

Linda Johansen-James is currently the CEO/COO of American Kiosk Management. She oversees in excess of 1200 employees and over 770 carts in the US and Canada representing Proactiv Skin Care and Sheer Cover Mineral Make-Up. She is responsible for setting the companies strategic direction and delivering on the company’s mission to caring for customer’s concerns.

Linda joined AKM in 2002 and has held many positions within the company including: National Recruiter and Trainer, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and currently Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Under Linda’s leadership, the company has continued to have unprecedented growth and the company has become the largest Specialty Retailer in the world. Her strong leadership skills have lead AKM through their most successful years of business, and she continues to lead the company’s growth and profitability. Her top priorities include strengthening and growing brands, maximizing sales while increasing profits and attracting and retaining top talent.

Linda is a frequent speaker at the International Council of Shopping Centers and Specialty Retailer Conference. She is on the board for the International Council of Shopping Centers Annual Conference and is currently on the Education Committee for writing the criteria for the Global Certification for Leasing Managers. She also currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Camp Soaring Eagle Foundation, a medically based camping program for children with life threatening illness. Linda is also active with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in many aspects and sits on the Leadership Council Board. Linda also supports many other charitable organizations.

David Paltzik is a Shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s Phoenix office. For over 15 years, his legal practice has focused on the representation of homebuilders, developers, investors and business owners in a wide variety of real estate, financing and commercial transactions. He regularly works with national, public companies as well as small, local or family owned companies. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America, 2008-2010.

David received his J.D. from the University of Arizona and his B.S.B.A. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Arizona. He is admitted to practice in Arizona and Washington.

Tom Bates has 32 years of auditing, accounting, tax consulting, and business valuation experience including experience with a national firm and a public company. Currently, he holds a principal accountant position with Rayburn, Bates, & Fitzgerald P.C. He has been with this company since 1987. Tom has consulted and testified in accounting, financial, economic, and business issues for commercial litigation. He is the designated reviewer on the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy and AICPA quality review programs.

He is a Certified Public Accountant in Tennessee, Florida, and Indiana. Accredited in Business Valuation. Tom also is a Certified Valuation Analyst.

Tom is a current board member of Kingdom Men, Tennessee Society of CPA’s, Florida Society of CPA’s, Indiana Society of CPA’s, and TSCPA Sports and Entertainment Committee . Previously, he was Chairman of Christ Presbyterian Church Diaconate and Finance Committee.

Rudy Alexander has over 23 years of experience in the computer software industry and is a visionary with proven ability in bringing technology to market and in developing successful companies. As an entrepreneur, Rudy has extensive experience in P&L management, operations, finance and strategic planning, business and product development, sales and marketing in both public and start-up companies internationally.

As a founder and CEO of 11Giraffes Company, Rudy has recruited and assembled a strong management team, developed company strategy and implemented an operating plan. 11Giraffes assist retailers use their digital media more effectively with the convergence of its in-store music and digital signage. He has secured approximately $20 million in funding in past ventures through venture capital firms and is responsible for 11Giraffes’ investment strategy.

Previously, as Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Engineous Software, Inc., Rudy developed the Sales and Marketing organization worldwide. He also founded the European Subsidiary and served as the Managing Director. Rudy was a Director on the Board of their Asian subsidiary providing strategy and direction. In 1993, he worked with a team that developed and marketed Internet video conferencing at Insoft, Inc. The company was sold to Netscape Communications in 1996. Rudy has authored several white papers in the software industry and was featured on World Business Review in 1999. He was honored with the Charlotte Chamber’s 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year Award and is a member of Charlotte’s Business Innovation and Growth Council and sits on the board of directors for CARS, Inc.

Bill has been the President and CEO of Firetrace USA, LLC since the company’s inception in 2000. Headquartered in Scottsdale Arizona, with satellite operations in the UK, Dubai, India, Singapore and Australia, Firetrace is the world’s fastest growing fire protection company supplying their proprietary Firetrace fire detection and suppression technology.

He has been in fire detection and suppression for almost 40 years. During that span he has had the pleasure of running a number of the world’s premiere fire protection companies. Bill is also one of the founders and past President of the fire suppression industry’s main trade association, the Fire Suppression Systems Assn.

Bill also participated in the formation, and remains on the Board, of the Halon Alternatives Research Corporation, a not for profit organization that promotes environmentally responsible fire suppression.

He serves on numerous technical committees of the National Fire Protection Association, the organization responsible for most fire codes in the USA.

Allan McArtor is a 1964 graduate of the U. S. Air Force Academy (BSE) and was the Cadet Wing Commander. In addition, he holds a Masters Degree (MSE) from Arizona State University. He was a highly decorated combat fighter pilot in Vietnam, an Associate Professor of Engineering Mechanics at the Air Force Academy and capped his Air Force career as a pilot with the U.S. Air Force “Thunderbirds” Aerial Demonstration Team. Allan continues to hold a commercial pilot’s license (instrument rating, multi-engine) and is a member of Tau Beta Pi (engineering honorary society).

Allan is Chairman of Airbus North America Holdings, Inc. He oversees the activities of Airbus in the United States and Canada in several key areas, including governmental affairs. Airbus functions in North America include marketing and sales support for airlines and other customers, as well as product and technical support and training for pilots, flight attendants and maintenance specialists.

Allan currently serves on the boards of a number of civic, industry, charity and educational groups including the Nature Conservancy of Texas and the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Professional Advisory Board to name a few.

Michael B. Nealer is a financial service senior executive with over 13 years experience, possessing a broad and diverse background in private banking. He specializes in business development and growth, full P&L and total balance sheet management to include: financial planning, trust, asset management, insurance, derivatives, treasury management, interest rate swaps, etc., as well as creating and implementing strategic initiates.

As an insurance and investment licensed professional, he has served in various advisory capacities to both public and private institutions in both start-up and growth phases.

Raised and educated in Maryland, Michael relocated to Arizona in 2007 and currently is serving in a consultant role to start-up financial institutions.

Jay Nilson has been CEO and President of Softmart, Inc. since 2004. He has taken the organization to a new level, having introduced exclusive I.T. services, founding a successful network of global operations and, under his leadership, grew company sales by 40%. Softmart headquarters remain in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

Previously, Mr. Nilson was president of Technology Locators in San Diego, CA. Technology Locators provided consulting and technology expertise to the leading technology companies in the country. Prior to his appointment at Technology Locators, Nilson was President and CEO of Crescent Communications in Salt Lake City, Utah. In this position, he led the growth of Crescent Communications into one of the nation’s largest dealers of Motorola equipment.

Rob is the General Manager and Innkeeper of the Briar Patch Inn in Sedona, Arizona where the Camp Soaring Eagle Family Retreats are held.

Rob served in the Army in the 1970′s and following his service in the army he worked as a Helicopter engineer in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Rob has an extensive background in real estate development and has completed projects currently in use by Qwest, Unisource and the Veterans Administration.

In addition to his real estate development projects, Rob and his wife Noi own and manage two restaurants in the Sedona area. Rob has four children and loves to play golf.

Dr. Powers is a successful entrepreneur having founded several successful high-growth companies across several business sectors including healthcare, technology, water bottling and distribution and the restaurant industry, one of which grew to over 3,000 employees and another that went public in 1998. Most recently, Powers was the Chairman, President and CEO of iLinc, a leading provider of innovative software and services that solve customer problems through web & video collaboration, and the company was successfully sold in September of 2011.

Powers received a Doctorate of Dental Surgery Degree from The University of Tennessee, a B.S. degree from the University of Memphis and an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.

Powers has a long history of involvement in philanthropy and community service and currently serves as an executive committee member and Vice Chairman of the Arizona Technology Council’s Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Camp Soaring Eagle, a medically-based camp for seriously ill children in northern Arizona and on the Board of Directors of BioAccel, an Arizona based non-profit dedicated to commercialization programs that drive economic development by translating bioscience discoveries into new business opportunities.

Richard Schwartz is the founder and President of The Schwartz Group, Wealth Preservation Strategists. A firm, that since 1988, focuses on wealth transfer and business succession planning using state-of-the-art estate planning techniques to analyze and monitor their clients’ estates.

Rich received his B.S. degree in finance from the University of Miami. He is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table. He is also a member of the Indiana Network of Estate Planning Professionals, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the Association for Advanced Life Underwriters. He is also a member agent of the Nautilus Group, a nationwide initiative formed to assist the clients of a highly select group of New York Life’s nationally renowned insurance agents.

He and his family are actively involved in their community and consistently donate their time and resources to organizations such as: Camp Soaring Eagle, The American Heart Association, The American Cancer Society, The Jeff George Foundation, We Care, The Make a Wish Foundation, and the United Way.

Hugh H. Williamson, III graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1964. He served as a Tactical Fighter Instructor Pilot before pursuing a civilian business career.

Hugh is a Fortune 500 CEO with extensive experience in NYSE, ASE, NASDAQ and privately-held companies, with outstanding record of shareholder enhancement, business growth, and productivity enhancements in mature industries as well as emerging markets. Williamson is a hands-on executive with broad mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance experience. He has a proven track-record in consolidating companies in a vertical market and turning around sizeable companies with major operational, financial, and human resource problems.

He has a broad background of attracting capital, domestic and foreign, including equity, convertible instruments, and different forms of debt instruments through both major and mid-size investment houses and traditional banks. Hugh currently works for Xedar Corporation which he created to specialize in complex and secure data management content and services.

Hugh is a member of several organizations including World President’s Organization, Young President’s Organization Alumni, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Trustee, Denver Council of Boy Scouts of America Trustee, and Falcon Foundation Trustee.

Mr. Camberlango is a Founder and oversees business operations and investor relations at Longboard Asset Management. He has 20 years of experience as an entrepreneur, real estate developer, and investor. He has consistently created ventures that identify and capitalize on market opportunities and has executed over $200 million of real estate development investment transactions.

From 2000 to 2009 Mr. Camberlango was a principal in his own investment and development company Camberlango Properties, Inc. He has acquired and developed several award-winning real estate projects in the San Francisco Bay area and Scottsdale, Arizona including Scottsdale Quarter Arizona’s premier lifestyle center. He is noted for his development vision and capital structures. Prior to Camberlango Properties, Inc., he worked within his family’s homebuilding and development companies and was responsible for master plan developments in Arizona and Northern California.

Kent Petzold is a private investor and the CEO of GFS Technology, Inc., an Arizona State University spin-out developing enterprise-class security for mobile devices. He has been a General Partner of a venture capital firm and a Senior Managing Director of an Investment Bank.

Kent has held Chairman, CEO or senior management positions with several prominent international software companies. He serves as a Director of public and private companies as well as faith based, educational and community service organizations.

Kent is a graduate of the University of Texas.

Gary is the Head Golf Professional at the Sedona Golf Resort. Gary has been in the golf industry since the early 1980’s and has had the privilege of working at some of the finest golf facilities in the Western United States. Gary’s most recent experience has been as the Director of Golf at Oakcreek Country Club (1992-2003) and the Director of Golf at Seven Canyons (2006-2010).

Gary has lived in Sedona for the past 20 years with Lisa, his wife of 29 years. Lisa is an established artist in the Southwest and has a working relationship with the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale and the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.

Gary has been involved with a number of organizations in Sedona over the years but the past few years his focus has been as a volunteer with Camp Soaring Eagle and in raising funds for the “Adopt a Student” foundation at St. Columba School in Durango, CO. Gary has been a strong supporter of Camp Soaring Eagle since its inception. Gary ran two marathons in two months to raise funds for the camp, hosted numerous golf tournaments and concert fundraisers and Gary is a regular volunteer at camp sharing his golf expertise with the campers.

Ryan, with over 16 years of banking experience is responsible for leading the Business Banking team for all of Meridian Bank Arizona. His background has included retail banking, consumer and professional banking with the majority of his career spent in leadership roles within business and commercial banking.

Ryan has been in the Arizona market his entire banking career. Ryan was previously affiliated with Johnson Bank as the Commercial Bank Manager. He also spent 12 years with Bank of America as Senior Vice President, Business Banking Executive where he was ranked the #1 Business Banker in the nation for two consecutive years. Ryan is an active participant in community service projects and is a strong advocate for Arizona State University athletics. Ryan enjoys spending time with family, golf, basketball, and watching the Sun Devils.

Ryan is a graduate of Arizona State University. He and his wife Angela reside in the Ahwatukee Foothills with their two sons Justin and Kyle.