The Board has concluded that its current leadership structure, in which the Chairman of the Board is an Independent Trustee and not affiliated with the investment adviser, is appropriate and in the best interest of shareowners. In light of the services provided to the Trust daily by the investment adviser and the responsibilities of the investment adviser to the Trust, the Board believes it appropriate and in the best interest of shareowners to have a separate President who is an active adviser employee. In making the determination that each Trustee is qualified to serve, the Board considers a variety of criteria, including actual service, commitment, and participation of each Trustee during his tenure with the Trust. In addition to the information set forth in the Trustees table above and other relevant qualifications, the following are additional important qualifications of each Nominee for Trustee:
Incumbent Independent Trustees
Firas J. Al-Barzinji, JD, MBA, was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2022. He is a Virginia-licensed attorney and serves as General Counsel to Sterling Management Group, Inc. (Herndon, VA), a consulting, venture capital, business management, and real estate investment firm. Mr. Al-Barzinji serves on the boards of several private companies and has worked in private equity since 2012. His main focus has been in agro-industrial and technology investments. Mr. Al-Barzinji also serves multiple charitable institutions through board or committee membership. Mr. Al-Barzinji’s degrees include a bachelor’s degree in English from Virginia Tech, a juris doctor from the George Mason University
School of Law, and a master’s degree in business administration from
the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. The Board feels
Mr. Al-Barzinji’s legal experience, financial business background, volunteer service and board leadership make him an excellent board member.
Miles K. Davis, PhD, is the former Founding CEO and Vice Chancellor of Wigwe University (Isiokpo, Rivers State, Nigeria). Before assuming the role at Wigwe University, Dr. Davis was President of Linfield University (McMinnville, OR). Dr. Davis is active in the microfinance movement and lectures regularly in the US, Africa, and Europe. An authority on entrepreneurship, his work focuses on the areas of integrity, values, and principles within the business world. He is a former Dean and George Edward Durell Chair of Management, Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University (Winchester, VA). Dr. Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Duquesne University, a master’s degree in human resource development from Bowie State University, and a doctorate in organizational behavior and management from The George Washington University. The Board feels Dr. Davis’s proven academic leadership skills, financial background, and experience make him an excellent board member.