Mr. Joe L. Slade, Jr.

Joe is the CEO of The Slade Group, an Austin marketing consultancy, brand management and marketing services firm. The firm directly impact the financial success of both large and small companies through sales acceleration strategies and the marketing communications, media integration, video, audio, multi-media and messaging solutions it creates and delivers. His career spans management and executive positions ranging from the second largest computer mainframe manufacturer in the U. S., to a top-ten New York advertising agency and the fifth largest medical school in the country. The Slade Group has been successful since it was formed in 1983.

Joe is directly involved in a significant number of start-ups and new-product launches, and has been integrally involved in private and public offerings of debt and equity financing, secondary offerings and mergers and acquisitions totaling over $500 million.

Mr. Slade is a Certified Business Communicator, a designation granted by the Business Marketing Association to only the top three percent of business marketing professionals in the country. He is recognized nationally as an award-winning writer, producer and creative director. He earned both Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management and Master of Business Administration in Corporate Finance degrees from The University of Houston in 1971 and 1978, respectively. He sits on the boards of several professional and community-service organizations. He is the father of three daughters.

Charles Arthur Thorp

Charlie is President of C.A.Thorp Studio, Inc., a successful graphic design firm headquartered in Houston, Texas since 1970. Graphic Design is the art of selecting and arranging visual elements to convey a message to an audience - visual communications. The firm is flexible, reliable, nimble and creative, of course.

During the past 30 years, C.A.Thorp Studio has developed and maintained long-term relationships with a wide array of clients ranging from the banking and global energy industries to the entertainment industry. He works with many marketing consultancies and agencies, and has worked directly with clients including Walt Disney World on Ice, Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, Glasswholesalers, and Sasol North America. Charlie's expertise lies in corporate identity and 3D design. The firm has earned hundreds of awards for creative excellence from the work they have produced.

Charlie earned a BFA in Fine Arts with an emphasis in graphic design from the University of Texas. For the last 15 years he was a part of the faculty at the Art Institute of Houston. He is incoming Governor of District 5890 for Rotary International and member of that organization for 30 years.

Laura Schweppe Thorp

Laura is Vice President of C.A.Thorp Studio, Inc. She is both the Senior Graphic Designer and the Business Manager. Her broad-based expertise lies in brochure, print advertising and web design. She has extensive knowledge of industry-design software - Photoshop, QuarkXPress and Illustrator. Charlie and Laura collaborate on most projects completed by the firm.

Laura also earned a BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Texas, with an emphasis in graphic design. She and Charlie are the parents of two grown children and two grandchildren. Laura is an active community volunteer with the Houston Heights Association and Heights Women of Rotary.