Thomas Gallo

Wedbush Securities, Inc. is a full-service investment bank and brokerage firm headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The firm was founded in 1955 as Wedbush Morgan Securities, Inc. They are a subsidiary of Wedbush Financial Services LLC, which is owned by Wedbush, Inc. Wedbush Securities provides a wide range of securities brokerage, wealth management, and investment banking services to private and institutional clients. Their research focuses on providing coverage of small and mid-sized companies in the following industries: (1) consumer products and services (2) technology (3) entertainment and media (4) life sciences and (5) industrial growth and clean technology.

SouthStateDuncanWilliams Securities Corp. (SouthStateDuncanWilliams) is a registered broker-dealer and financial services firm headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. Formerly known as Duncan-Williams, Inc., the firm was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of South State Corp. (NASDAQ: SSB). SouthStateDuncanWilliams offers sales, finance and underwriting of fixed-income securities to banks and other financial institutions. They focus on securities such as US treasury notes and bonds, federal agency securities, mortgage-backed securities, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, certificates of deposit and mutual funds.

Fitch Ratings, Inc. is a global rating agency and investment research firm headquartered in New York City. The firm was founded by John Knowles in 1913 as Fitch Publishing Co. They are a subsidiary of Fitch Group, Inc., ultimately owned by The Hearst Family Trust. Fitch Ratings seeks to provide independent and prospective credit opinions, research and data to the world's credit markets. Their approach is based on a foundation of local market experience that covers capital markets in over 150 countries. The firm's ratings analysis and rating decisions are based on established criteria, methodologies and ratings definitions which they apply in a consistent manner. Fitch Ratings provides coverage of the following markets: Economics, Banks, Insurance, Sovereigns, Corporates, Structured Finance, Public Finance – International, Public Finance – US, Infrastructure & Project, and Finance.

Part of JJKD Holdings, Inc., Drake Jj Kenny Co, Inc. provides municipal bond inter-dealer brokerage services. The company is based in New York, NY. Drake Jj Kenny Co was acquired by JJKD Holdings, Inc. from S&P Global, Inc. on April 25, 2002.

Financial Guaranty Insurance Co. engages in the provision of insurance solutions. It offers financial guaranty, mortgage insurance, and mortgage services for credit enhancement on public finance and structured finance securities. The company was founded by Roger K. Taylor in 1983 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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).