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corporate law. He is a graduate of Duke Law School and received his BA from UNC-Chapel Hill. He lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and daughter. Mary Moore Hamrick National Managing Principal of Public Policy Grant Thornton Mary Moore Hamrick leads Grant Thorn- ton's public policy initiatives and govern- ment affairs efforts. She is a member of Grant Thornton's U.S. Extended Leader- ship Team and a chairman of the firm's Political Action Committee. Hamrick has 20 years of experience working for and then with the U.S. Congress. She most recently served as the senior director of external relations and strategic planning for the Center for Audit Quality. She was also a director of the office of external relations for the Public Company Account- ing Oversight Board. Hamrick headed the New York Life Insur- ance Co.'s Washington, DC governmental affairs office, served as counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and was a registered investments representative for Morgan Stanley, having passed investments exams series 3, 7, and 63. She serves on numerous boards and councils. Hamrick received her bachelor's degree cum laude from Duke University, and her JD and MBA degrees from the University of North Carolina. Brett Loper Senior Vice President, Government Affairs American Express Brett Loper coordinates American Express' engagement strategy with federal, state, and local governments. Previously, he held the position of deputy chief of staff to House Speaker John Boehner. Loper has served in a variety of capacities in the White House and the Congress, including as the Republican staff director for the House Committee on Ways and Means and as both chief of staff and deputy chief of staff in the House Majority Leader's Office. He served as a deputy associate director for the White House Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush. Loper received his B.A. from Villanova Univer- sity and an M.B.A. from The George Washington University. He serves as an adjunct professor at Villanova and is a board mem- ber of the University's Center for Marketing and Public Policy Research. He serves as a senior advisor to the Bipartisan Policy Center and on the Board of Directors for the Congressional Insti- tute. He and his wife, Ginger, live in Arlington, VA with their three daughters. Craig Purser President and CEO National Beer Wholesalers Association Craig Purser serves as the leading advocate for licensed, independent beer distributors. Under Purser's leadership, NBWA worked on the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP) Underage Drinking Act. Purser has served on the staff of former Sen. and Assistant Majority Leader Don Nickles and managed the successful election of Sen. Jim Inhofe. Purser was twice recognized by CEO Update as a Top Association CEO. He has earned the Certified Association Executive credential from the American Society of Association Executives and was recognized as a Young and Aspiring Association Professional by Association TRENDS. Purser serves as a trustee for the Alcohol Beverage Medical Research Founda- tion and the Center for Alcohol Policy. He also serves as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Association Committee of 100, the ASAE's Key Industry Association Committee, the Asso- ciation Executives Council of the National Association of Whole- saler-Distributors and the Bryce Harlow Foundation's Board of Governors. Purser has served as a guest lecturer at several univer- sities. A native of Oklahoma, Purser is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma. He and his wife, Gretchen, reside in Alexandria, VA, with their three children. Matthew Shay President and CEO National Retail Federation Matthew Shay is president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. As the top executive of the world's largest retail trade association, he serves as the chief advocate for one of the nation's largest private sector employers, which supports one in four U.S. jobs and contributes $2.6 trillion to the annual GDP. Shay came to NRF in 2010 and is credited with leading the organization to new levels of effectiveness on policy issues, increasing awareness of the industry's economic contributions, and emphasizing political activity. He previously served as president and CEO of the Inter- national Franchise Association. Shay has been recognized by CEO Update as one of the top 50 non-profit chief executives in Wash- ington. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and The Ohio State University College of Law, and holds a master's degree in business administration from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Mark Valente III President Valente & Associates Mark Valente III is President of Valente & Associates. For over 20 years, he has brought his record of government participation and public service to a wide range of clients, elected officials, candi- dates, and not-for-profit causes. Valente has also served as director of congressional relations for the U.S. Office of Personnel Man- agement, working with the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Through the experience he gained working for President Ronald Reagan in the Office of Public Liaison, Valente earned a reputation as one of the nation's top outreach and coalition strate- gists. From 1986-1989, Valente was the national director of the Republican National Committee's Coalition Development Depart- ment. He is an active participant on the National Republican Con- gressional Committee's National Finance Committee. Valente is a graduate of Villanova University's College of Commerce and Finance as well as the University of Detroit School of Law. (USCHS WELCOMES BOARD MEMBERS, CONT.) 7 (Sean Callinicos, Cont.)