BIOGRAPHY-CREDENTIALS / QUALIFICATIONS / AFFILIATION

Dr. Joseph J. Penbera

Tel: (559) 360-3535 Fax: (559) 224-2001 4921 N. Van Ness Blvd., Fresno, CA 93704 jpenbera@comcast.net

 Professional Listings and Affiliations

Fulbright Scholars , Council for the International Exchange of Scholars, Washington, DC
Financial Executives Institute , Morristown, NJ
National Association of Forensic Economists , Mount Union, PA
National Forensic Center , Princeton, NJ
International Directory of Scholars , Harvard U. Press, Boston, MA
California State University , Faculty Directory, Craig School of Business, CSU, Fresno, CA

Education/Earned Degrees and Postgraduate Education

Ph.D., The American University, Washington, D.C.1973. Seckler Hudson Fellow.
University’s Nominee for The Leonard D. White Award in Economics and Policy.
MPA, The Bernard Baruch School of Business and Public Administration, City
U. of New York, New York, N.Y.,1970. Bernard Baruch Fellow.
BA, Rutgers U., New Brunswick, N.J.1969. Scholarship in Athletics. Sophomore Class President.
Audit and Governance Program. Harvard Business School. 2003.
Senior Finance Officers Program. Harvard Business School.1998
Investment Institute. Passed NASD, Series Exam. Georgia. 1983.
Registered Public Accountant. State of Ohio.1982.
Computer Programming. Regional Computer Center, MIT/Bowdoin. 1981.
Language and Culture. Universidad Ibero-Americana. Mexico City DF.1978
Tech Forecasting and Demographic Analysis Methods. USDA, Graduate School.1973-75.
Economic Analysis and Business Plans. EDI, World Bank. Washington, DC. 1973-4.

Chairman, Penbera Paris,LLC. 1983-present.

Firm incorporated The Baruch Co., Consortium for Economic Research, Joseph J. Penbera, Ph.D. and Associates, and EconomistUSA, Inc.. Cited by Knight Kiplinger, publisher, The Kiplinger Magazine, as one of the best forecast economists in the U.S. Have provided more than 200 consultancies, professional opinions, and economic analyses. Served as a principal in the creation of USCIS-approved, EB5 Regional Centers whose purpose is to attract significant capital investment, develop new projects within a region, and create a substantial numbers of jobs. Prepare comprehensive business plans and job creation studies employing econometric modeling techniques – including Implan and RIMS II (BEA) analysis- accepted by government agencies. Provide professional opinion letters for investors from many countries. Served on the FEI Internal Controls Task Force; Research Panel, Corporate Board Member Magazine; and as adesignatedFinancial Expert under NY Stock Exchange and SEC regulations. Have worked with a variety of news organizations, including CBS, NBC Nightly News, LA Times, Miami Herald, The Fresno Bee, and as a featured commentator for KMJ-580 Radio one of the largest talk-listening stations in the U.S..

Professor, former Dean, Eaton Fellow of Economics, and Senior Fulbright Scholar in Economics, Craig School of Business, California State U., Fresno, California, 1985-present. Teach/conduct research in the MBA, Executive MBA and undergrad programs. MBA Business Projects Advisor in Finance. Recent publication: MIT/Sloan Management Review, Summer 2009.

Director, California Energy Investment Center, 2009-present. USCIS-approved, EB-5 Regional Center focused on capital investment in and job creation from alternative energy projects in the eleven Central and Southeastern counties of California.

Director, Greater Houston Investment Center, 2010-present. Forming USCIS EB5 Regional Center focused on housing, commercial, resort and entertainment projects in The Woodlands and ten county Houston-Sugarland-Baytown area of southeastern Texas..

Consulting Economist, NBC Universal, 2010-present. Film production financing.

Consulting Economist, S. Florida Regional Investment Center, Miami, Fl. 2008-present.

Consulting Economist, Cal. Consortium for Agricultural Export, Fresno, CA. 2002-present

Past Employment Experience

Director and Audit Committee Chairman , Rug Doctor, Inc. 1987- 2008. The leading cleaning machine and related chemicals company in the U.S with more than 33,000 locations. The company was sold to American Capital, Ltd. , Bethesda, MD. (ACAS-NASDAQ).

Lead Director and Audit Chairman , Gottschalks, Inc. (GOT-NYSE). 1987- 2009.

Senior Economist . Westamerica, Regency, and California Bank and Trust. 1994-2000

Director and Audit Chairman , Blast Energy Services (BESV-OTC), Houston, Texas. 1999 -2009. Founded the predecessor company, TheAgZone.com, a controlling interest in which was sold to BergMcAfee Companies, Cupertino, CA.

Consultant to White House Consortium of Cabinet-Level Agencies, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Office of Education, Federal Executives Institute. Washington, D.C. 1990-1994.

Director, Vendo, Intl, Inc. The leading vending machine manufacturer in the world at that time. (VEN-NYSE). Fresno, CA and Casale, Italy. 1986-88. The company was sold to the Sanden Company, Tokyo, Japan.

Dean and Professor, Franklin College of Business and Public Administration, Columbus, Ohio. 1981-1985.

Assistant to the Provost and Dean of Faculties, Associate Professor, Head of The International Tech Transfer and Contracts Team, U. of Miami, Fla. Miami, FL. 1978-81.

Chairman, The Baruch Company, and Senior Consultant, Planning Secretariat, Office of the President of Brasil. Scranton, PA, and Porto Alegre and Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.1975-78.

Director , International Programs Department, and Head of the Futures, Technology and Forecasting Programs, USDA Graduate School, Washington, D.C., 1972-75.

President’s Medal, ORMASZ, Warsaw, Poland.

National Program Chairman , AACSB (accreditor of university business schools worldwide).

Recipient, Paul Harris Medal for Meritorious Civic Service, Rotary International.

Emeritus , San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust.

Emeritus Director and Co-founder , Fresno Tomorrow Foundation for At-Risk Youth.

Military Service: U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Naval Reserve, 1964-1970. Honorably Discharged

A Guide to 100 Publishing Opportunities for Business Faculty. Co-authored with Chris A. Betts. University .Press. 1990. Recommended bestseller by Bookwatch as the authoritative guide in the field.

“What Lead Directors Do”, MIT/Sloan Management Review, Vol 50, No. 4, 2009

"E-Commerce: Economics and Regulation”, Advanced Management Journal, Aut 99, p 39-47

"The Director's Role in A Takeover Bid". Co-authored with Charles Bonner. Journal of Business Strategy . 1990.

The Computer Simplification Project: A Flow State Approach . Cleveland Foundation. 1985.

 URBEX , Economic Development Simulation. Trademark #872-142 with the U. of Miami. 1980.

 Management and Executive Development in Brasil . National Press of Brasil/Center for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Rio de Janeiro. 1979. 151 pages.

“Guardians of the Shareholders Interest: Recent Research Findings into the Audit Committee’s Pivotal Role”, Fulbright Senior Scholars Program , 2005

Evaluating Economic Progress” , Journal of The Warsaw School of Economics and Social Science , 2005.

”Guardians of the Shareholders Interest: Recent Research Findings into the Audit Committee’s Pivotal Role”, Fulbright Senior Scholars Program , 2005.

”A Guide for Audit Committees: General and Specific Tasks for Managing Responsibilities in the Sarbanes Oxley Era of New Corporate Governance”, Fulbright Senior Scholars Program , 2005.

”Entering and Competing in Foreign Markets”, Fulbright Senior Scholars Program , 2005.

Contributor to “Sox-Pox”, published by Jay Lorsch, Harvard Business Review , October, 2004.

Economic Forecasts for Central California to the Year 2010 . Central California Futures Institute, 1998. 60 pages.

 Labor Market Information Survey .(co-author) Economic Development Corporation, Workforce Development Board, Revitalization Corporation, AMS. 1998.

Population Forecast for Fresno County to the Year 2025, Council of Governments , Apr 2000.

"Special Report: Central Valley Real Estate”, Research Quarterly , Winter, 1999. pp.1, 3-6.

Driving Forces and Threats to Agriculture . Central California Futures Institute, July, 1998.

 Labor Market Information Survey .(co-author) Economic Development Corporation, Workforce Development Board, Revitalization Corporation, AMS. 1998. 34 pages.

Forecasts of Leading Economic Indicators . Text and charts published by Valliwide, Regency/California Bank and Trust, and Westamerica banks, and posted to websites. 1995-2000.

 "Job Multipliers Effects, Job-Related Purchase Power and Tax Value of One Job", Study Commissioned by the Economic Development Corporation . 1998. 12 pages.

 The Economic Map: A Statistical Abstract of the Central Valley . CSU Press/Central California Futures Institute. 1996. 288 pages.

 "The Consumer Price Index (CPI-F)”, Published quarterly in The Fresno Bee under a grant from The Business Council. 1995-2000.

"The Business Sentiment Survey" Published annually through the support of The Business Council and The Fresno Bee. 1994-1999.

 "The Value of Life and Life Enjoyment", Proceedings , Global Finance Association (rights: Global Finance Journal), Apr 96.

 "Forensic Management and the Future of Business and Business Education”. Foresight , published by Nova Southeastern University. Fall 95. p 16.

 Overcoming the Reengineering Blindspots . Study Commission by the U.S. Dept. of Education. Washington, D.C. October 1994. 36 pages.

 "Reengineering Our Nation's Executives". The Public Manager , Spring 1994.

 Advisory Board, Advanced Management Journal. 1992-6.

Editorial Advisory Board, The Global Finance Journal. 1989-92.

Editorial Advisory Board, Review of Business Studies. 1990-2.

Associate Editorial Board, Journal of Small Business Finance. 1991-2.

 "Microcomputers and Accounting Applications".Co-author with Martha O’Laughlin . Kent-Bentley Review . February 1985, p 67-73.

 ”Bayview Civic Center”, Public Personnel Management: Special Issue-Ethics , Vol. 10, No. 1, 1981. pp. 157-160.

 Consultancies-Client List-Partial

Amtrak Baker, Manoch and Jensen CBS City of Fresno Commercial Realty County of Fresno County of San Luis Obispo Deloitte and Touche Dunavant FMC Foster Farms Hartford Kingsburg Chamber McCormick Barstow NBC Universal Oren Paboojian Port of San Diego Provident Republic of Brasil San Francisco Law Center Snap-On Tools U. of Miami Medical School World Bank/EDI U.S. Dept. of Education UNDP

American Planning Association California Eye Central Valley Chrysler-Jeep City of Miami Beach Community Hospitals of Central California Consortium of White House Cabinet Agencies Davis and Winston Dunion Farmer’s Insurance Federated/Macy’s Stores Fresno Grizzlies Industrial Indemnity Lance-Kashian National Association of Manufacturers Ohio Securities Commission Overstreet & Associates Producer’s Dairy Prudential Ruiz Foods Spencer Enterprises Strickland, AG (Switzerland) Westamerica Bank U.S. Dept. of Commerce U.S. Dept. of Labor Upright

Case Listing-Confidential-Provided Upon Approval

Reference List/Reference Letters- Provided Upon Request