AFP Press Release

Association for Financial Professionals Announces New Board Members

Bethesda, MD – February 16, 2005 – The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) announces new officers and directors to its Board of Directors. The following officers will serve two-year terms:

Sally M. Smedal, CTP, Chairman
Sally Smedal is Treasurer and Controller, Basic American Foods headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA. She was elected to the Board of Directors in 2001 and served as Vice Chairman, Treasurer. Sally has served as Chairman of the Certification Committee and was a member of that Committee from 2002-2004. In addition, she was Chairman of the Certification Test Committee from 1997-1999. In 1993 Ms. Smedal also Chaired the Certification Standards Committee that developed Service Codes. In 2002 she was a Pinnacle Award judge. She has been a member of AFP since 1991.

Ira M. Birns, CPA, CTP, Vice Chairman
Ira Birns is Vice President and Treasurer at Arrow Electronics, Inc., headquartered in Melville, NY. He has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2002 and has served on the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee. Ira was recently a member of the Treasury Panel which reviewed the final Body of Knowledge for Essentials of Treasury Management I. He is a frequent speaker at national AFP conferences, including his participation in a session on European Treasury Management in 2002 and a panel discussion focusing on rating agency relationships at the 2004 AFP Annual Conference. He has been a member of AFP since 1991.

Loren Starr, CTP, Vice Chairman
Loren Starr is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Janus Capital Group Inc. in Denver, CO. He served on the AFP Board of Directors from 1999-2001, during which time he chaired the Special Committee for Strategic Planning in 2001 and was a member of the Board Strategy Committee in 1999. He served as a member of the Audit Committee in 2004. Loren has been a member of AFP since 1996.

AFP's New Directors
Six new directors also were elected to the board. Each director will serve two-year terms:

James Gilligan, CTP
James Gilligan is Manager, Treasury Management at Great Plains Energy, Inc. and President, KLT Investments Inc., a subsidiary of Great Plains Energy, both located in Kansas City, MO. Mr. Gilligan was a member of the 2004 Annual Conference Task Force. He is the immediate past President of the Kansas City AFP, a member of its Board of Directors and has also served as its Treasurer for 3 terms. He has been a member of AFP since 1998.

R. Evan Hardin
Evan Hardin is Vice President, Finance of Ridgeview Properties in Greensboro, NC. Mr. Hardin has been a member of the Government Relations Committee since 1998 and served on the Treasury Institute Committee in 1997. Evan has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2001 and serves as Chairman of the Audit Committee. He has been a member of AFP since 1990.

John Hodgkinson, CTP
John Hodgkinson is Manager, Treasury Operations of Publix Super Markets, Inc. in Lakeland, FL. He was a member of the 2004 Annual Conference Task Force, served as Chairman of the Retail Industry Forum Task Force in 2003 and served as a member of that Task Force in 2002 and 2001. He has been a member of AFP since 1999.

Donald L. Hollingsworth, CTP
Don Hollingsworth is Assistant Treasurer and Manager, Banking and Investor Services at Ameren Corporation in St. Louis, MO. Don has served as Chairman of the Payments Advisory Group and has been a member of that Committee since 1998. Other volunteer positions include Payments Task Force Chairman in 2000, membership on the Utilities Industry Task Force in 1996, and he participated in the TMA/BAI RFP Projects in 1995. He has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2001 and serves as a member of the Policy Committee. He has been a member of AFP since 1992.

Bradley Larson, CTP
Brad Larson is Vice President, Treasury Services at PETsMART, in Phoenix, AZ. Brad has been on the Board of Directors since 2001, and served as Vice Chairman, Secretary from 2002-2004. He was a member of the 2004 Annual Conference Task Force. Mr. Larson has served as Chairman of the AFP Working Capital Management Task Force and has been a member of the Treasury Policy Task Force since 2000. In 1998 and 1999, Brad was a member of the Retail Industry Task Force and in 1998 on the RFP II Product Task Force. He has been a frequent speaker at national and regional conferences, forums and teleconferences and has been a member of AFP since 1995.

Delores Ratliff, CTP
Delores Ratliff is Manager, Bank Initiatives and Negotiations, Target Corporation in Minneapolis, MN. She currently serves on the Payments Advisory Group and has been a member of the AFP Exchange Editorial Advisory Board from 1999-2001. Delores was Chairman of the Risk Management Task Force in 2000, a member of the Cyberconference Task Force in 1999 and Chairman of the Retail Industry Task Force in 1998. She has served as President, Vice President and Conference Chair of the Minnesota Treasury Management (MTMA). Delores served on the AFP Board of Directors from 1995-1998. She has been a frequent speaker at national and regional AFP conferences and forums. Delores has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2002 and serves as a member of the Policy Committee. She has been a member of AFP since 1987.

Dennis Reedy, CTP
Dennis Reedy is Managing Director of Treasury Operations at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Mr. Reedy served on the Certification Body of Knowledge Committee for Essentials Six and Seven. He served on the 1995 TMA/BAI RFP project and Item Writers and Job Analysis Task Forces and has been a speaker and industry roundtable facilitator at the AFP annual meeting. He is a past President/Treasurer and current board member of the TMA of Indiana. He has been a member of AFP since 1987.

Cindy Reins, CTP
Cindy Reins is Assistant Treasurer - Cash Management at Lowe's Companies, Inc, Mooresville, NC. Ms. Reins has served as Treasurer of the North Carolina TMA in 2000-2001, Vice President in 2002 and President in 2003. She has been a member of AFP since 1995.

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The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) in Bethesda, Maryland, supports more than 14,000 individual members from a wide range of industries throughout all stages of their careers in various aspects of treasury and financial management. AFP is the preferred resource for financial professionals for continuing education, financial tools and publications, career development, certifications, research, representation to legislators and regulators, and the development of industry standards. For more information about AFP visit www.AFPonline.org.