from an engineering and marketing/ business standpoint. He is currently working part time as a Solutions Provider Partner with dba DIRECT, the pioneer and leader in remote database administration. Joe has served as Network Services Manager at Nortel Networks and has worked for a variety of other major computer companies including Digital Equipment Corporation, Unisys, Wang Laboratories, Honeywell and IBM in the area of computer/communications and networking involving a variety of domestic clients. These clients included tele-communications transmission service providers(e.g. BellSouth, GTE, MCI, etc.), domestic and worldwide airlines, insurance, media(radio/television), utilities, education, Federal & State government and retail industry. Joe has over twelve years of part-time teaching experience in the data communications, information technology and network architectures with Northeastern University in Boston. He also wrote a market research report for Frost and Sullivan, a leading market research group, titled “The Data Communications Market in the U.S.” His educational background includes attending the University of Pittsburgh (pre-engineering), earning a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Indiana Institute of Technology, conducting graduate course work in Business Development, Product Planning and Market Strategies at Northeastern University, and completing the Dale Carnegie Course in Public Speaking.

Porter started as a booking agent for musical and variety talent, then was recruited over to a speakers bureau to book speeches for sports stars. Porter ultimately became the owner of that bureau after expanding it to book all types of professional speakers, authors, trainers, etc. As owner of WOW! Solutions, inc. (http://www.wowspeakers.com/home/index.cfm), he assists associations, universities and corporations in achieving their goals of entertainment, education and motivation with local to international authors, trainers, motivators, sports stars and comics. On the music side, Porter has scheduled a variety of artists including Kenny Rogers, REM and The Drifters. Attached is a .pdf of some of the celebrities he has booked. His clients include Duracell, Coca Cola, Swissotel, Georgia State University, and the American Moving Association. Porter acquired a unique perspective on event programming through his experience as a drummer, as well as a cast member in the 1996 Olympic opening ceremonies, and through his work on industry panels, associations and chambers. He holds degrees in business from the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. Porter, a native Atlantan, is married to Leslie Poole, a CPA and singer/songwriter and they have two children.

Before moving back to Atlanta in 2006, he managed the Trust and Private Banking offices for the bank in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Starting the Trust Department for AmSouth Bank (now Regions) in the state of Tennessee, he grew the office from no assets in 1993 to $900 million in 2006. Prior to AmSouth, he was employed by the Trust Department of Bank of America in Atlanta for 18 years, serving as Vice-President and Senior Trust Officer. Billy graduated cum laude from Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Industrial Management, holds four graduate degrees from Georgia State University, and also graduated with honors from National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University. He has been affiliated with the Southern Trust School in Mobile, Alabama, for over 25 years, having served as Chairman of the Board in 1988 and 1996. He is a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Services Counselor and has written articles for several publications, including a series for Trust and Estates Magazine. Billy was a high school state wrestling champion at Briarcliff High School, captain of the Georgia Tech wrestling team (twice named Most Valuable Wrestler), and was elected to the Georgia Tech Athletic, the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, and the National Wrestling Halls of Fame. He has served as a high school and college official for the past 36 years and was named 1994 Official of the Year in Georgia. Billy served for two years as an Ammunitions Officer and also with the Special Services Division of the U.S. Army where he was the All-Army wrestling champion, and was appointed coach and Officer in Charge of the U S. Regular Army Wrestling team while in the military. Billy has served in many civic organizations in Chattanooga including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, YMCA, Teen Challenge, Lookout Mountain Fairland Club, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, Bibles in the Chattanooga Schools, Rotary Club, Planned Giving Council, Estate Planning Council, Young Life, and Hospice. In Atlanta he has served the Decatur and Atlanta Estate Planning Councils and currently serves on the Board of FCA Wrestling in Georgia. Billy and his wife, Michele, have four children and four grandchildren and are active members of Parkway Presbyterian Church. 

Clarence is an experienced professional with a dynamic career in credit card operations spanning almost 40 years. Prior to this Clarence held the following positions: Managing Director, Cardholder Servicing InfiStar/ First National Credit Card Center, where he had overall responsibility for the start-up and development of a bank card operations center servicing Visa and MasterCard accounts for bank and credit union portfolios. Clarence had direct responsibility for Customer Service, Credit Operations, Accounting, Collections/Recovery, and Fraud functions. Senior Vice President/Manager of Operations, Wachovia Bank Card Services, Inc., where his responsibilities included management of 550+ people, 5 direct reports, and a $20 million + annual operating budget. Areas of responsibilities included Delaware Operations Center (plastic production, statement/letter/solicitation printing and mailing, application call center, payment processing, merchant draft capture), Customer Service, Accounting and Settlement, Training and Staff Development including Management Associate program.Senior Vice President/Center Manager, The First National Bank of Atlanta/Wachovia Bank Card Services, where he established the Bank and Operations Center in Delaware. The bank had a national charter and was organized under Delaware's Financial Center Development Act. Clarence designed and oversaw construction of this 55,000 sq.ft. facility. Vice President, The First National Bank of Atlanta, where he managed several units within the credit card division during the start-up of the First Atlanta program. Clarence managed the Wire Transfer Department, Collective Investment Funds Unit of the Trust Department, and served as a Business Analyst in their Statewide Operations Division coordinating the conversions of system applications for acquired banks.For National Data Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia, and Cisco, Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma, Clarence managed the credit card processing operation of these third party vendors. The Cisco Tulsa operation was a pioneer in high speed, low cost data capture capability for credit card sales drafts and payment processing. Clarence graduated from State University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Ga. with a BA in History in 1969. He has served on the Visa Card Operations Advisors Committee, the Bankers Association and the Rotary Club.