Rick A. Singer

Pekin Hardy Strauss, Inc. (Pekin Hardy) is an independent, SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm was founded by Rick Singer in 1990 as Pekin Singer Strauss Asset Management, Inc. Pekin Hardy serves as the investment manager to the Appleseed Fund, a mutual fund registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and provides investment management services to separately managed accounts, retirement plans, and other client accounts.

Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. (MFIM) is a SEC-registered investment advisor headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm was established in 1986 and their sole shareholder is Mesirow Financial Services, Inc., which is wholly-owned by Mesirow Financial Holdings, Inc., a Chicago-based financial services firm that was founded in 1937. MFIM provides advisory services to individuals, corporations or other businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, non-qualified plans, state or municipal government entities, and charitable organizations.

Northern Trust Investments, Inc. (Investment Management) (NTI-IM) is the asset management division of Northern Trust Investments, Inc., ultimately held by Northern Trust Corp. (NASDAQGS: NTRS), a multi-bank holding company established in 1889. The firm was founded in 1988 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. NTI-IM provides a wide range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individual and institutional clients.