David Hideo Sugimoto

Affinity Investment Advisors LLC (Affinity) is an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Originally founded in 1992, Affinity manages the investment assets for a wide range of clients, including corporate pension and general accounts, public pension plans, Taft-Hartley funds, endowments, foundations, and high net worth clients.

Invesco Advisers, Inc. is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a subsidiary of Invesco Group Services, Inc., ultimately held by Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ). The firm was founded in 1986 and previously known as Invesco Institutional NA, Inc. until April 2010 when Invesco Ltd. consolidated the businesses of their US investment advisors (Invesco AIM Advisors, Inc., Invesco AIM Capital Management, Inc., Invesco AIM Private Asset Management, Inc. and Invesco Global Asset Management NA, Inc.) under the name Invesco Advisers, Inc. They provide discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services to individuals, institutional and high net-worth clients through separate accounts, wrap fee programs and US registered investment companies and other Commingled Funds.

Van Asset Management is a registered investment advisor and mutual fund manager headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm traces its origins to 1927 when Kenneth Stevens Van Strum founded Van Strum Financial Service. In 1934, the firm was renamed Van Strum & Towne, Inc. In 1994, Van Kampen Merritt and American Capital merged, creating Van Kampen American Capital. In June 1996, Van Kampen American Capital was acquired by Morgan Stanley. In 1998, Van Kampen American Capital changed their name to Van Kampen Asset Management. Can Kampen Asset Management is a division of Morgan Stanley Investment Banking. Their ultimate parent is Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS). The firm's products include mutual funds, closed-end funds, separately managed accounts, 529 portfolios, unit trusts and insurance trusts.

Morgan Stanley Investment Management, Inc. (MSIM) is an investment management firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded in 1975 and is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Domestic Holdings, Inc., ultimately held by Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS). MSIM provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management services and products to institutional clients and individual investors. The firm also advises clients as to the appropriate allocation of assets among multiple separate accounts and/or investment companies or other pooled vehicles that the firm advises.

In the year 1838, Francis Drexel founded Drexel and Company in Philadelphia. 1838 Investment Advisors LLC is the successor to Drexel. 1838 manages portfolios for corporate and public employee benefit plans, Taft Hartley funds, hospitals, foundations, endowments, insurance organizations and high net worth individuals. 1838 is a subsidiary of MBIA, Inc. (NYSE: MBI)

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) is a state-owned pension fund manager headquartered in Austin, Texas. The firm was founded by the Texas Legislature in 1937 to provide service and disability retirement benefits to teachers and administrators of the public school systems of Texas, which include institutions of higher education. In 1949, legislation expanded membership eligibility to include all employees of public education institutions. In 1985, TRS was assigned responsibility to administer health insurance program for public school retirees. The firm invests funds under its stewardship and delivers benefits to members as authorized by the Texas Legislature.

Founded in 1958, Merrill Lynch Piece Fenner & Smith, Inc. is an SEC registered broker/dealer located in New York City. The firm is a subsidiary of BAC North America Holding Co. and their ultimate parent is Bank of America Corp. (NYSE BAC).

Founded in 2010, Echo Point Investment Management LLC is a registered investment advisor located in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. The firm is subsidiary of Old Mutual (US) Holdings, Inc. and their ultimate parent is Harbinger Capital Partners LLC. Echo Point manages portfolios for institutional and sub-advisory clients in the US and Canada.

USAA Investment Services Co. (ISCO) is a SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The firm was founded in 1970 as USAA Investment Management Co. (IMCO). They are a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of USAA Investment Corp. and an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of the United Services Automobile Association (USAA), a diversified financial services organization. In 2020, ISCO’s brokerage and advisory businesses, including client accounts, were sold to Schwab Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of The Charles Schwab Corp. (Schwab) (NYSE: SCHW). ISCO’s business is now limited to referring prospective clients to Schwab or Victory Capital, performing certain referral-related marketing activities, and providing advice with respect to saving for retirement and retirement income.