Bruce Barnes
CEO, Element K LLC

Barnes has more than 10 years of experience with developing fast-growing media and technology businesses. Prior to joining Element K, Barnes was a managing director and co-head of the private equity group at Wasserstein Perella Group Inc. From 1992 to 1994, he was executive vice president of Ziff Bros. Investments LLC, a private investment company, and senior vice president and chief financial officer at Ziff Communications Co., the holding company for a predecessor of Ziff-Davis Education Inc., which was the prior owner of Element K's businesses.

He received a B.A. and Ph.D. in economics at the University of Pennsylvania.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "Element K is a leading provider of corporate e-learning solutions for business and technology skills in an industry that is robust and growing. According to Merrill Lynch, the e-learning market is projected to grow from $3.5 billion today to more than $25 billion in 2003. However, we're not immune to the challenges that other industries have experienced. We continue to watch the market, review our business model and are spending more conservatively than in the past.

"Element K is a leading applications service provider in the fast-growing e-learning market. We have continued to grow in spite of the recent economic slowdown. We remain committed to maintaining our leadership position in content and technology for the e-learning market. At our Element K Learning Center, the leading provider of IT training in Rochester, we have continued to build our business by broadening our course offerings focused on career development for individuals."

Douglas Brush
Chairman and CEO, Sentry Group

Brush, 48, has served in a number of executive positions with Sentry Group since joining the company in 1979, culminating with the positions of chairman and CEO.

Brush is a member of the American Hardware Manufacturers Association, and serves on the boards of the Industrial Management Council and the YMCA of Greater Rochester Inc. He is a member of the Young President's Organization.

Brush received a B.A. from The College of Wooster in Ohio.

Gunther Buerman
Managing Partner, Harris Beach LLP

Buerman, 57, joined Harris Beach as an associate in 1969. He became a partner in 1976, and was elected managing partner in 1984.

Buerman serves as a member of the board of directors and as a trustee for various for-profit and non-profit organizations in the Greater Rochester area. He also coaches his children's Little League teams.

Buerman earned a B.A. from St. Lawrence University and a J.D. from Syracuse University. He and his wife, Margaretha, have three children: Gabriella, Max and Greta.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "Harris Beach has enjoyed strong growth throughout the last few years. This success has allowed us to make strategic investments in our expansion and technology that will ensure a strong future for the firm. Every year we face the challenge of regenerating a portion of our business. With the economic slowdown, replacing this business and achieving growth is a challenge. Fortunately, Harris Beach has many recession-proof practices to offset the slower transactional business. We are focusing on executing our firm's long-term growth strategies and continue to market our capabilities, expand into new regions and position ourselves for better business opportunities."

Harlan Calkins
Chairman and CEO, Rochester Midland Corp.

Calkins, 69, began his career at Rochester Midland in 1958. He worked his way from being a sales representative to the positions he holds today. From 1956 to 1957, he served in the U.S. Army.

Calkins is chairman of the board of governors of the Al Sigl Center for Rehabilitation Agencies Inc.

He earned a B.A. in chemistry from Hamilton College. He and his wife, Tobie, have three children and two grandchildren.

Arunas Chesonis
Chairman and CEO, PaeTec Communications Inc.

Chesonis, 39, served as president of ACC Corp. from February 1994 until April 1998. In addition, he served as president and chief operating officer of ACC Global Corp. He founded PaeTec in May 1998.

Chesonis received the Rochester Area Community Foundation's philanthropy award in 1999. In 1997, he received the Rosenthal Award for Innovation in Modern Finance from the University of Rochester's William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration. And in 1995, he received the Rochester Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Award.

Chesonis is a member of the boards of Genesee Valley Trust Co., Compeer Inc., the Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County at Lollypop Farm and the Rochester Police Benevolent Association.

Chesonis received a B.S. in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Rochester. He and his wife, Pamela, have four children: Adam, Erik, Tessa and Emma.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "PaeTec has not really changed its strategy. We focus on delivering stronger value-added solutions that are used in connection with and enhance our core voice and data services to our customers in an effort to help them operate more efficiently and cost-effectively."

Ernest Del Monte
Chairman and CEO, E.J. Del Monte Corp.

Del Monte served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force and later went on to become an industrial developer. He founded E.J. Del Monte Corp. and Delcrete Building System, companies that manufacture industrialized buildings, including hotels.

Del Monte has served as a member of the board of trustees for the University of Rochester, Nazareth College of Rochester and the Harley School.

Del Monte attended SUNY at Buffalo. He and his wife, Thelma, have four children: John, Andrea, Vicki and Karen.

Richard Dorschel
President and CEO, the Dorschel Group

Dorschel, 54, began working as a full-time, new-car salesman in 1968. In 1977, he purchased the dealership from his father, John Dorschel.

Richard Dorschel has served as division chair of the auto suppliers division of the United Way of Greater Rochester Inc.'s annual campaign, and he also is a former director and current member of the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce Inc. He also is a member of the regional advisory board of M&T Bank.

In 1994, Dorschel received the Rochester Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year award, and in 1997 he was honored at the annual National Auto Dealers Association conference with the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award.

Dorschel earned a B.A. in business administration/management from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Nancy, have three children: Eric, Tobey and Abby.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "A slowdown has been seen in our new-vehicle sales by about 15 percent; however, our firm has focused on used-vehicle sales opportunities in order to grow our market share and found that new, entry-level vehicles from Kia are in demand. We have also increased our service activities by expansions in our body shop facilities and parts wholesaling. This coupled with increased lower interest rates and financial management controls have yielded positive results in a down market."

James Gleason
Chairman and CEO, Gleason Corp.

Gleason, 67, entered the family business in 1959, seven years before it went public. He was named secretary and treasurer in 1973, vice president of finance in 1979, president and chief operating officer in 1980, CEO in 1981 and chairman in 1985. His company went private on March 29.

Gleason graduated from Princeton University with a degree in philosophy. He also earned an MBA from the University of Rochester.

James Hammer
President and CEO, Hammer Lithograph Corp.

Hammer, 54, began his career at Hammer Lithograph in 1969 in the sales and customer service department. He was promoted to vice president in 1975, and president and CEO in 1983.

Hammer serves on the board of directors, executive team and public relations committee of the Mary Cariola Children's Center Inc. He is a member of the World Presidents Organization, and served as president of the Label Printing Industries of America.

Hammer earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing from Drake University, in Iowa. He and his wife, Donna, have three children: Lisa, 27, Jason, 23, and Ashley, 16.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "Contrary to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy, Hammer's business has been increasing and remains strong. We have had a very aggressive sales and marketing program for some time now and additional customers have been added to our base to assure increased sales."

Samuel Hubbard Jr.
President and CEO, High Falls Brewing Co. LLC

Hubbard, 51, began his career at the Chase Manhattan Bank, where he worked from 1972 through 1985. From 1986 through 1998, he was the CEO of the Alling & Cory Co. He then joined Genesee Corp., where he achieved the positions of president and CEO before participating in a management-led buyout of the Genesee Brewing Co., which became High Falls Brewing Co.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "When we developed our business plan for High Falls, we did not consider a turndown in the economy as a significant risk to volume. Typically, consumption of beer is not cyclical with the economy and domestic regionals have historically fared better during a recession.

"The impact to us as a leveraged buyout is access to capital and in a slowdown the terms and conditions of credit usually tighten. Therefore, our strategy is to improve our liquidity so we can internally fund the majority of our capital expenditures. I am pleased to say that, to date, we have been successful in pursuit of this strategy."

Joel Kellmanson
President and CEO, Atkell Inc.

Kellmanson, 62, has been with Atkell since founding the company in 1976. He was president of Rochester Atlas Wrecking Co. until 1983.

He is a former board member of the National Association of Demolition Contractors and the Salvation Army, and former chairman of the Jewish Home of Rochester. He currently is a board member of the Jewish Health Care System of Rochester Inc.

Kellmanson earned a B.S. from Syracuse University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Elaine, have a son, Jeffrey, and a daughter, Lynn.

Raymond LeChase
President and CEO, LeChase Construction Services LLC

LeChase, 57, began his career as an attorney. He then became secretary and contract manager for Raymond LeChase Inc. In 1981, he was appointed president and CEO.

LeChase is a member of the Construction Specification Institute, the American Bar Association and the Association of General Contractors. He also is on the boards of St. John Fisher College and the Center for Governmental Research Inc. LeChase serves on the executive committees of the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce Inc., and the Otetiana Council Inc., Boy Scouts of America. He is a director and finance committee chairman of the Rochester/Monroe County Workforce Development System's investment board.

LeChase earned a B.S. in business administration from John Carroll University and a J.D. from SUNY at Buffalo. He was admitted to the state bar in 1968.

He and his wife, Beverly, have two children and three grandchildren.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "We are very concerned since the economy drives capital spending. As construction activity slows, competition increases, forcing contractors to under-price projects, compromise quality and safety, and pursue claim/litigation techniques to recoup losses.

"At LeChase, our 58 years of experience has taught us that weakness in the economy requires renewed attention to our customers and our costs of doing business. We improve and intensify employee training, expand our marketing efforts, find innovative ways to service our customers and enhance our 'construction provider of choice' reputation. We work harder and smarter; we do not panic."

Kenneth McAlpin
President and CEO, McAlpin Industries Inc.

McAlpin, 46, previously worked at Rochester Products, a division of General Motors Corp. He joined McAlpin Industries in 1980.

He is chairman of the board of trustees of St. John Fisher College and Bishop Kearney High School.

McAlpin received a B.S. in management and an MBA from St. John Fisher College.

James Merk
CEO, Century Mold Co. Inc.

Merk, 54, started Century Mold with his partner, Jim Brazill, in 1978. In 1993 he spent a year outside of Nashville, Tenn., establishing a second manufacturing facility for Century Mold.

He has a son and a daughter, as well as a granddaughter.

Dennis Mullen
President and CEO, Agrilink Foods Inc.

Mullen, 47, has spent 25 years in the food industry. He began his career at Curtice Burns in 1990 as senior vice president of custom pack sales for Nalley Fine Foods, a Curtice Burns subsidiary. He then was named senior vice president and food service business unit manager of Comstock Michigan Fruit, which then was a subsidiary of Curtice Burns, and subsequently became president and CEO of Comstock. He was appointed to the top spots at Curtice Burns in 1997, which was subsequently renamed Agrilink Foods. Prior to joining Curtice Burns, he was president and CEO of Globe Products Co., a division of Holly Farms Corp.

Mullen is on the board of directors of the American Heart Association, Genesee Valley Region; the Grocery Manufacturers of America; the National Food Processors Association; St. Leo College; the United Way of Greater Rochester Inc.; and Rochester Institute of Technology's Department of Food, Hotel and Travel Management. He also serves on the Chase Manhattan Bank's Northeast Regional Advisory Board.

Mullen earned a B.A. in education from St. Leo College.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy? "The growth strategy we've been following for the past few years better positions Agrilink to deal with slowdowns in the economy. Since the acquisition of the Birds Eye brand in 1998, we have become the nation's largest producer of frozen vegetables and are now able to offer customers a full market basket of product, including branded, private label and foodservice items. As we've grown in volume, we have also expanded geographically, which allows us to source and process from virtually every region of the country. The success of this growth strategy and the resulting economies of scale bring low cost producer status to Agrilink and therefore to our customers.

"As a side note, during periods of slowdown, consumers tend to spend more time at home and less time eating out, so there can actually be a benefit to us during these times."

Nestor Nicholas
Co-Managing Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP

Nicholas, 61, had been a partner of Peabody & Brown since 1972. Prior to that time, he was an attorney for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Justice. His experience includes transactions and representing partnerships before the Internal Revenue Service during audit, as well as serving as a business and tax adviser for numerous domestic businesses.

Nicholas earned a B.A. from Brown University. He went on to earn an LL.B. and LL.M. from New York University, and a J.D. from Cornell University Law School.

He and his wife, Anne, have two sons: Michael and Matthew.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy? "We are not yet experiencing a slowdown in demand for our services but are experiencing some shifts. We are watching costs, controlling staffing but at the same time are continuing to invest in the growth of our firm."

Walter Parkes
President and CEO, O'Connell Electric Co.

Parkes, 70, has spent his entire career in electrical contracting. He began with T.H. Green Electric, the assets of which O'Connell Electric purchased in 1996, and joined O'Connell Electric in 1968.

Parkes is affiliated with a number of organizations: the Genesee Hospital Mary Parkes Asthma Center, which he co-founded; the Electrical Contractors Foundation; the Academy of Electrical Contractors, from which he received the 1998 Wendt Award for exemplary leadership and service; and the city of Rochester Electrical Licensing Board. He is former president and governor of the Finger Lakes Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association, and former president of Builders Exchange of Rochester, N.Y. Inc.

He and his wife, Carmina, have four children.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy? "Our business is still very strong and all indications are that this trend will continue at least into next year. As a precaution, we have postponed some capital equipment purchases."

Scott Seeman
President and CEO, Concentrix Corp.

Seeman, 54, joined Concentrix in June 1998 as its president and chief operating officer. He assumed the role of CEO in October 1998. Before coming to Concentrix, Seeman was director of sales and marketing programs at Waste Management of North America. He also created a start-up unit at Saatchi & Saatchi Direct, and was co-founder of the Sutherland Group Ltd. Additionally, he held the position of corporate manager of direct marketing operations at Xerox Corp.

He has served on the boards of Mercy High School, the School of the Holy Childhood and Wilson Commencement Park. He is first vice president of Monroe Golf Club.

He majored in political science at the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife have three daughters and two granddaughters.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy? "We are an outsourcing company that focuses on helping Fortune 500 companies improve their sales productivity. This is a very attractive alternative in a down economy. Our mission is to get our message out to more companies."

Michael Triassi
Chairman and CEO, the Sear-Brown Group

Triassi, 58, joined the Sear-Brown Group in 1968 as a project engineer. He served as president of the firm from 1987 to 1990, and became chairman in 1991. His appointment to the position of CEO was announced in 1998.

Triassi has been very active in numerous professional engineering organizations and has received a number of awards. He is a member of the board of St. Francis House and a member of the Henrietta Chamber of Commerce.

Triassi obtained a B.S. in civil engineering from Marquette University. He and his wife, Vicki, have five children and seven grandchildren.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy? "By looking at areas where we and the economy continue to be strong and looking at ways to increase our work and services in those areas."

Harry Trueheart III
Co-Managing Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP

Trueheart, 57, joined the law firm of Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle LLP after graduating from law school. He served as chairman of the firm's policy committee and its litigation group, and as managing partner. When the firm merged with Peabody & Brown, he became co-managing partner of the new entity. He principally is involved in business and commercial dispute resolution, particularly international disputes. He serves regularly in the roles of arbitrator and mediator.

Trueheart is a trustee of the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce Inc., a director and secretary of the Rochester Downtown Development Corp., a director of High Technology of Rochester Inc. and a trustee of the WXXI Public Broadcasting Council.

He received a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He and his wife, Karen, have a son, Eric, and a daughter, Kathryn.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy? "We are not yet experiencing a slowdown in demand for our services but are experiencing some shifts. We are watching costs, controlling staffing but at the same time are continuing to invest in the growth of our firm."

Dilip Vellodi
Chairman and CEO, the Sutherland Group Ltd.

Vellodi, 44, began his career as a consultant to Merck & Co. Inc. He then joined Xerox Corp., where he held several assignments in operations, sales, strategic planning and market development.

He is active in several philanthropic and civic organizations and is the recipient of the Ernst & Young 1997 Upstate New York Entrepreneur of the Year award and Rochester Institute of Technology's Herbert W. VandenBrul Entrepreneurial Award. He is on the boards of Allendale Columbia School, Boys & Girls Club of Rochester Inc., the Humane Society of Rochester and Monroe County at Lollypop Farm, the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Industrial Management Council.

Vellodi received his bachelor's degree in economics with mathematics and statistics from Loyola University and holds an MBA from Rutgers University. He is married and has three children.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "Rather than alter our strategy, the current economy has helped us to see just how effective our existing strategy continues to be. We're now acquiring a new kind of customer; those that have been adversely affected by the stormy seas of our current economy. We deliver to them the same benefits that the Sutherland Group has provided to its clients for years. Business challenges come fast and furious in this new era, and Sutherland continues to grow through this latest cycle. The reason is simple: we allow our clients and partners to concentrate on their core businesses, and provide them with high value in an area that is their life-blood-helping them to attract and retain customers."

Harry Voss
President and CEO, Diamond Packaging

Voss, 63, spent three years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry commanding officer, and has been in the packaging industry for 39 years.

He is a sponsor of the Urban League of Rochester N.Y., Inc. and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Inc. He also is a member of the Monroe County Manufacturing Partnership Consortium.

He received a BBA in industrial management from Clarkson College of Technology. He and his wife, Gretchen, have four children: Karla, Lisa, Eric and Kirsten.

In what ways has his company altered its strategy in response to the recent slowdown in the U.S. economy?: "To contend with a slowing economy and more specifically, consolidation in our industry, Diamond Packaging has established strategic alliances around the world to offer better value, service and products to our customers. The global packaging alliance that Diamond belongs to was formed in 1990.

"Diamond also realized that the competitive marketplace was getting stronger and we needed both short- and long-term strategies to counter the numerous threats facing our business. Listed below are a few key strategies that we employ:

"Proactively seek out companies both on the supplier and customer side that are growing and leading in their marketplace.

"Continue to provide exceptional value and differentiate what we offer by providing what our competitors cannot.

"In spite of the slowing economy, we continue to invest in our employees as well as state-of- the-art equipment and technologies."

Robert Wegman
Chairman and CEO, Wegmans Food Markets Inc.

Wegman, 82, became a full-time employee of the family business in 1937. He became store manager in 1947 and president in 1950. He was named chairman and CEO in 1969.

Wegman has served as chairman of the board of regents of St. John Fisher College. He also has served on the executive committees of the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce Inc. and the United Community Chest of Greater Rochester. Wegman has served on the boards of the Center for Governmental Research Inc. and Marine Midland Bank, and has served as a board member and/or chairman of a number of industry associations.

He has been given a number of awards, including the 1994 Civic Medal Award from the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce Inc.

Wegman received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Niagara University. He has a wife, Peggy. His four children are Daniel, Joan, Gail and Marie.

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