AATDA Appoints Three New Advisory Board Members

(12 October 2000) Albanian American Trade and Development Association President James Elias announced today the appointment of three new members to the AATDA Advisory Board. Joining the board will be Louis V. Foundos of Old Brookville, New York; Ashley Hawken of Arlington, Virginia, and Thomas Vangell of Winchester, Massachusetts.

Mr. Foundos is a financial advisor with extensive experience in venture capital financing and corporate management. He is an active investor in Albania with holdings in a garment factory with over 600 employees, a hotel in Korca, and movie theaters. His executive management experience includes having served as Chief Executive Officer of Humicon, Inc, a company engaged in manufacturing a new design of patented humidor and cigar distribution. Prior experience includes service with Fluid Data, a manufacturer of gas analyzers, a company he jointed in 1979. He rose to President of the company, serving with the company until it was sold in 1995. Mr. Foundos is a graduate of Harvard Business School. He currently active with and serves as Treasurer of the National Albanian American Council. He is of Albanian heritage and frequently travels to the country.

Mr. Hawken is a partner in Global Village Communications of Alexandria, Virgina, an international media and communications firm specializing in television and public information programming and services. Mr. Hawken is an award winning writer, director and producer of television documentary programs. A career long veteran producer and director with the U.S. Information Agency, he has been responsible for the design and communications infrastructure for Moldova’s successful privatization program, provided start up for USIA’s TV Marti daily telecasts to Cuba, and "A Visit of Friendship," a TV news Special for Albanian television. His over 300 credits include many programs that have reached audiences throughout the world, including a television series "Enfoque Las Americas," which promoted regional economic integration in the Americas; "Global Profile," television specials on international investment; the "Thai-Washington Newsletter;" and special programs such as "A Trip," a film on narcotics trafficking with Jack Palance; "Philidelphia 1976," A Bicentennial Special with James Michener, and "Thanksgiving in Peshawar," a documentary with Kirk Douglas.

Thomas Vangell is President of Atlantic Financial Consulting, which provides consulting services to financial institutions and small and medium size corporations. Mr. Vangell spent one year in Albania working as a financial consultant with the World Bank to the Bank of Albania. During this assignment he was member of the Albanian Committee for restructuring the country’s foreign bank debt, and worked on other banking reform projects including payment systems, development of the Albanian Treasury Bill auction system, creation of the stock exchange for trading government securities and commercial bank restructuring. More recently he has been assisting in banking development efforts in Kosovo.

Prior to founding Atlantic Financial Consulting, Mr. Vangell worked for three decades with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, where he was division Vice President responsible for providing financial services to financial institutions. He is a graduate of Boston College with an MBA from Babson College.

In announcing these appointments, AATDA President, James V. Elias, stated that " I am very pleased that these three distinguished professionals have agreed to join us as advisory board members, joining an already excellent board representing many different professions and interests, but all with the common commitment to developing business and commerce with Albania, and to assisting Albania to grow and prosper as a country dedicated to democratic and free-market systems."