R. Joseph Corkin holds a B.S. in Finance from Iowa State University and will obtain an M.S. in Finance and Certificate in Financial Services Management from the University of Houston in December 2008. While attending the University of Houston, Mr. Corkin has been a student analyst and portfolio manager for the Cougar Investment Fund, LLC. The Cougar Fund is a multi-million dollar investment fund that holds equity securities traded in United States markets. It is one of only four student-run funds in the nation that manages money for private investors.

In 2008, Mr. Corkin was a member of the University of Houston team competing in the Investment Research Challenge sponsored by the CFA Institute. The team qualified for the national competition in New York City by defeating other Texas universities in a written research report and oral presentation competition. He plans to pursue the CFA designation later this year.

Mr. Corkin began his career with The Boeing Company in Huntsville, Alabama as a budget and planning analyst where he worked on a missile defense program for the Department of Defense. He later spent time as a project controls engineer for Bechtel Oil, Gas and Chemical, Inc in Houston, Texas. In this position, Mr. Corkin worked with all levels of project and functional management to develop and report financial forecasts for the business unit.