ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 31, 2009 – In March, New Enterprise Forum named new officers and seated five new members on the organization’s board. New officers for NEF are:
Jan Gensheimer, President of Seracon, Inc. now serves as NEF President. Jan founded Seracon in 1996; the company provides business consulting services that facilitate the growth of small market companies in tech industries. Jan is active in the entrepreneurial community and is on the board of Washtenaw Technical Middle College.
Gerry Roston, Co-Founder of Pair of Docs Consulting LLC, now serves as NEF Vice President. Gerry works with early-stage, technology-focused start-up. He assists them with business development activities such as writing plans/proposals; providing interim management; and finding potential customers, partners and investors.
Diane Durance, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Entrepreneur’s Quest, is NEF’s new Program Committee Chair. Diane has experience in entrepreneurial and management positions in technology-based businesses, service companies, government and nonprofit organizations. She is a successful entrepreneur and has founded three companies.
New NEF board members are:
LeAnn Auer is Executive Director of the Michigan Venture Capital Association, where she is responsible for developing the MVCA into a highly focused and proactive organization that helps Michigan-based venture funds develop and succeed.
Paul Brown is the Manager of Capital Markets for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. His group manages some of the state’s venture capital programs, bond issuances, and creates tax incentive programs for investors. He is involved in state, local and national politics, and sits on the board of the Michigan Historical Foundation and the planning committee of the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium.
Rick Galdi is President of the Great Lakes Angels and is CEO of Windfall Projectz LLC. He has over 22 years of experience running successful enterprises and is currently focused on investing in and mentoring early stage companies, with an emphasis on web-based IT, media, entertainment, and advertising ventures.
William McPherson is Managing Director of Saline-based McPherson Commercial Capital, which provides businesses in a variety of industries with capital and funding solutions, consulting, and assistance in raising equity. He has a long history in commercial credit, financing, and banking.
Claudia Rast is a principal at Pear Sperling Eggan & Daniels, P.C., where she specializes in Business, Technology and Environmental law. She is currently Chair of the Environment, Energy, and Resources Law Section of the American Bar Association, and has authored numerous articles and chapters for IT and legal publications.
ABOUT NEF
Through its hands-on work with entrepreneurs, NEF has been planting the seeds for Michigan’s economic prosperity for over two decades. NEF serves Michigan entrepreneurs by linking them with management expertise, venture partners, business services, capital, and other critical resources. NEF also provides free coaching teams who assist entrepreneurs with investor presentations and business planning in preparation for fundraising meetings. For information, visit www.NewEnterpriseForum.org.
