ADVISORY/MEDIA ALERT: NJ-NIRI to Hold Seminar on September 24th.

Business Editors

ADVISORY...for Tuesday (Sept. 24)

MADISON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2002

THE NEW WORLD OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: How Investor Relations

can Maintain and Enhance Your Company's Corporate Reputation in

Today's Demanding Market Environment;

Jack Markell, Treasurer of the State of Delaware to be Keynote

Speaker

The New Jersey Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), in partnership with the Corporate Communication Institute (CCI) at Fairleigh Dickinson University, today announced that it will present a seminar - "The New World of Corporate Responsibility: How Investor Relations can Maintain and Enhance Your Company's Corporate Reputation in Today's Demanding Market Environment."

It will be held on Tuesday, September 24th, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm in the Lenfell Hall, The Mansion, at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Madison, New Jersey campus. This seminar was rescheduled from August 7th at the request of virtually everyone who registered so that the agenda could be expanded to include additional speakers on corporate responsibility issues.

    WHO: The New Jersey Chapter of the National Investor Relations
        Institute (NIRI), in partnership with the Corporate
        Communication Institute (CCI) at Fairleigh Dickinson
        University.

    WHAT: SEMINAR: The New World of Corporate Responsibility: How
        Investor Relations can Maintain and Enhance Your Company's
        Corporate Reputation in Today's Demanding Market Environment.
        Keynote Speaker: Jack Markell, Treasurer of the State of
        Delaware.

    WHEN: Tuesday, September 24th, from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm

    WHERE: Fairleigh Dickson University, Madison, NJ campus, The
        Lenfell Hall in The Mansion

    FOCUS: The seminar will be of particular interest to directors,
        chief executive officers, chief financial officers, investor
        relations officers, senior corporate management and others who
        must deal with the practical issues surrounding investor
        relations and corporate reputation management in the current
        market environment.

    FEES: The cost for this seminar is $35.00 for NJ-NIRI and CCI
        members/$50.00 for all others, including lunch.

    PRESS: Complimentary admittance for the press. Please contact Van
        Negris/212-396-0606.

The Keynote Speaker will be Jack Markell, Treasurer of the State of Delaware, who will speak on "The Best Investor Is An Educated One: The New Front On Financial Literacy" - a topic that is at the core of every public company's financial communications strategy. Financial education has been a cornerstone of Mr. Markell's vision as State Treasurer. His office has hosted conferences for thousands of Delawareans on money management and fiscal responsibility.

At the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Mr. Markell was selected by the Democratic Leadership Council as one of the 100 "rising stars" of the Party. That same month New Democrat Magazine spotlighted him in a group of just ten innovative leaders from around the country under the age of 40. In October 2001, Philly Tech Magazine named Mr. Markell as the only Delawarean and the only government official on its list of the ten most influential technology leaders in the Philadelphia region.

Mr. Markell will be introduced by J. Michael Adams, the President of Fairleigh Dickinson University, who will also share his views on the role corporate managers must play as global citizens. Commenting on this issue, Dr. Adams stated: "The global celebration of the millennium reminded us all that we are citizens of the world. We are linked by technology, world trade and common human issues. As we shared the beginning of a new century, we were all aware that we also share this world and a common human fate. Fairleigh Dickinson University's new mission recognizes that we all are global participants, every one of us; that our arena is the world marketplace of ideas; and that our responsibility and our goal is to prepare students to live, succeed and solve problems anywhere in the world. At Fairleigh Dickinson University, we are committed to developing global citizens who have become immersed in and familiar with other cultures and conscious of their responsibility to make the world a better place."

"NJ-NIRI's seminar - The New World of Corporate Responsibility - will be a very stimulating and thought-provoking day for investor relations professionals and corporate management," said Van Negris, Senior Managing Director of Van Negris & Company and a member of NJ-NIRI's Executive Committee.

Mr. Negris continued: "With the government's commitment to bringing a new era of integrity to American business in the wake of the continuing scandals roiling the financial markets, investor relations professionals are on the front lines of corporate reputation management and corporate disclosure practices. They are being challenged, as never before, to maintain trust in their companies with Wall Street, investors, communities, government officials, the media, and the general public.

"This seminar will offer practical approaches that investor relations professionals and corporate management can take to ensure that their companies' financial reporting reflect a more transparent picture of earnings, accomplishments and anticipated future performance that will contribute to investor confidence and enhance their companies' credibility and integrity."

SEMINAR TOPICS

The Best Investor Is An Educated One: The New Front On Financial Literacy - Jack Markell; Treasurer of the State of Delaware - Mr. Markell's presentation will focus on the constituency that is the core focus of every public company's financial communications strategy: its shareholders. Financial education has been a cornerstone of Mr. Markell's vision as State Treasurer. His office has hosted conferences for thousands of Delawareans on money management and fiscal responsibility.

Introduction of Keynote Speaker - J. Michael Adams; President, Fairleigh Dickinson University - Dr. Adams will introduce the Keynote Speaker, Jack Markell, Treasurer of the State of Delaware.

The Realities of Investor Relations in 2002; Philip J. Denning, Van Negris & Company - Publicly-traded corporations have a special obligation to disclose accurate and timely information to their investors. In the new world of corporate reporting in 2002, traditional reactive approaches to investor relations won't do the job. Mr. Denning will explore how a proactive approach to investor relations, rooted in the responsible application of financial marketing techniques, can enhance a company's profile in the investment community and contribute to the ability of investors to make informed investment decisions.

Corporate Reputation Management and the Impact of Corporate Citizenship Activities; Dr. Michael B. Goodman, Director, Corporate Communication Institute at Fairleigh Dickinson University - The role of corporate citizenship as an essential component in rebuilding trust in corporations. Dr. Goodman explores Reputation Management in this context, and uses information from the annual CCI Corporate Communication Practices and Trends Study to illuminate and support courses of action.

Corporate Responsibility and the Role of an Informed Board; Jay Lucas, Managing Director, The Lucas Group - Mr. Lucas will offer insights and observations on some of the major factors making it difficult for management teams to keep board members properly informed on key strategic issues and will provide some practical suggestions on how management and investor relations professionals can best work with board members to increase their understanding of the company's business performance, and in turn, the proactive steps that board members should take to ensure that their advice is helpful, relevant and based on a correct understanding of the business.

Best Practices for Assuring Corporate Responsibility; Robert A. Solomon, Partner, Solomon Pearl Blum Heymann & Stich LLP, International Business Law Consortium of the Center for International Legal Studies based in Salzburg, Austria and the InterLegal network of law firms based in The Hague, Netherlands. Mr. Solomon is a business and securities lawyer who regularly provides advice to the boards of directors and management of on a variety of corporate law and securities matters. Mr. Solomon is the co-author of the U.S. Securities law chapter of the BNA International publication on Securities Law and Regulation.

Systematic Outreach: Best Practice Methods for Reaching the Buy-Side and Sell-Side; Paul Marcus, Director; Corporate Investor Relations Sales, Bigdough.com - The turbulent financial markets have resulted in a massive restructuring of the buy-side and sell-side on Wall Street. Mr. Marcus discusses how investor relations professionals can effectively use state-of-the-art profile-based, peer-based, sector buying and quantitative targeting techniques to achieve greater research coverage and institutional ownership in these turbulent financial markets.

Issues at the Forefront of the Investor Relations Industry: An Overview of Proposed and Current Complex Reporting Issues Domestically and Abroad; Michael Becker, Manager, Global Disclosure Services, Business Wire - Reporting material items in a timely manner has become an increasingly difficult task for today's IRO. Knowing what myriad items are material, when to report, and geographically where to report has become a necessity to a fluid and comprehensive IR program. With disclosure becoming a global initiative rather than a domestic item, Mr. Becker will present an overview of global disclosure and reporting requirements for multinational corporations, an update of proposed SEC Regulations for Disclosure, a review of the SEC's EDGAR system and potential new filing requirements.

Communications Management in an Age of Turbulence; Sherman Frankston, Frankston Associates - Despite recent market volatility, good stewardship of the corporate message can withstand buffeting by the market and unexpected crisis events. Mr. Frankston will discuss how companies can effectively implement a corporate communications plan that communicates internal yardsticks for all their constituencies to gauge their performance.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Jack Markell, Treasurer of the State of Delaware - Financial education has been a cornerstone of Mr. Markell's vision as State Treasurer. His office has hosted conferences for thousands of Delawareans on money management and fiscal responsibility. At the 2000 Democratic National Convention, Mr. Markell was selected by the Democratic Leadership Council as one of the 100 "rising stars" of the Party. That same month New Democrat Magazine spotlighted him in a group of just ten innovative leaders from around the country under the age of 40. In October 2001, Philly Tech Magazine named Mr. Markell as the only Delawarean and the only government official on its list of the ten most influential technology leaders in the Philadelphia region.

Mr. Markell, 41, is a native of Newark, Delaware and a graduate of Newark High School. He graduated from Brown University with degrees in economics and development studies and from the University of Chicago with an MBA. Mr. Markell entered politics after a successful career in the private sector. He helped lead the wireless technology revolution at Nextel, which he joined as the 13th employee and where he served as Senior Vice President for Corporate Development. His other work experiences included a senior management position at Comcast Corporation as well as posts as a consultant at McKinsey and Company, Inc. and as a banker at First Chicago Corporation.

J. Michael Adams, President, Fairleigh Dickinson University - Dr. Adams joined Fairleigh Dickinson University as president July 1, 1999, following 15 years as academic dean of the Nesbitt College of Design Arts at Drexel University in Philadelphia, a school of more than 10,000 students. He came to Drexel from the State University of New York at Oswego, where he served as a chair of the department of industrial technology and professor of education. From 1975-76, he served as a U. S. Congressional Fellow, working to develop legislation; serving as liaison to the House Committee on Elementary, Secondary and Vocational Education; and coordinating hearings on contemporary issues. Dr. Adams holds a B.S. from Illinois State University, Normal; an M.S. in education administration from University of Illinois, Urbana; and a Ph.D. in education administration from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. In 1997, he attended Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management. Many corporations and associations seek Adams' expertise in strategic organizational development. In the past year, he has spoken to numerous U.S. organizations as well as groups in Latin America, India and the United Kingdom. Dr. Adams has been recognized for his commitment to gender equity, access to education and support for the benefits of international experiences and cross-cultural understanding.

Michael Becker, Manager, Global Disclosure Services, Business Wire - Mr. Becker joined Business Wire in 1999 as Financial Information Services Specialist. Prior to joining Business Wire he worked for Capital Link, Inc. where he created and implemented comprehensive media and investor relations programs for the international investor relations firm's high profile clients, including SBF-Paris Bourse and the Athens Stock Exchange.

Philip J. Denning, Managing Director, Van Negris & Company - Mr. Denning, a principal of the firm, manages all aspects of client companies' Strategic Investor Relations and Financial Marketing programs, from design to implementation. He serves as Trustee of the Village of Tuckahoe, New York. In this elected position, Mr. Denning oversees the management of Village finances and assets and proposes and votes on local legislation. Mr. Denning received his B.S. with a concentration in finance from Fordham University, College of Business Administration, and his M.B.A. from Fordham University, Graduate School of Business Administration with a dual concentration in finance and accounting. Prior to joining the firm in 1997, Mr. Denning was a registered analyst and NASD member firm Account Executive focusing on micro- to mid-cap growth equities.

Dr. Michael B. Goodman, Director, Corporate Communication Institute at Fairleigh Dickinson University - Dr. Goodman is the director of the Corporate Communication Institute and Graduate Programs in Corporate Communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Prior to FDU, he directed the graduate and undergraduate business communications programs at Northeastern University, Boston, and taught business communications and literature courses at New York University, New York Institute of Technology, and SUNY at Stony Brook. Since 1981, Dr. Goodman has been a consultant in corporate communications, managerial communications, problem solving, new business proposals, change, and corporate culture. He has published widely, including seven books. His most recent published books are "Corporate Communications for Executives" (SUNY Press, 1998) and "Working in a Global Environment: Understanding, Communications, and Managing Transnationally" (IEEE Press, 1995). He is currently at work on "While You Were Looking the Other Way - Sixteen Forces That Are Redefining Marketing and Advertising" with Sandy Sulcer, Cleve Langton and Peter Hirsch. Dr. Goodman received his Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.

Sherman Frankston, Frankston Associates - Mr. Frankston is President of Frankston Associates Inc., a corporate communications group located in Glen Rock, New Jersey. Previously, he managed Corpcom, a subsidiary of Corporate Annual Reports, and held various management posts in the parent organization including Vice President, Director of Sales & Marketing as well as Account Supervisor and Writer for many of their key accounts. He also spent four years as Network Editor and Correspondent for Metromedia Radio News in Baltimore, New York and Washington, D.C. As an Adjunct Professor, Mr. Frankston lectures on investor and corporate communications at Fairleigh Dickinson University's Madison Campus. Additionally, he is a member of the executive committee of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), as well as being one of the founding members of the chapter. Mr. Frankston has served as Vice Chairman of the Township of Teaneck's Cable Television Advisory Committee and Chairman of that town's Transportation Advisory Committee. In Glen Rock, he serves as a communications advisor to the Board of Education. Mr. Frankston regularly addresses NIRI and IABC chapters, New York University and PRSA on communications topics. He holds a degree in Mass Communications. He attended Hunter College and the University of Buffalo.

Jay Lucas, The Lucas Group - Mr. Lucas is the Founder and Managing Director of The Lucas Group, and over the past twenty years, has helped numerous executives, investors and management teams set their strategic direction and grow their businesses. In so doing, he has developed substantial expertise and knowledge in the discipline of `growth strategy' and has helped spearhead the firm's development of its `Accelerated Growth' practice and approach - leveraging a proprietary set of principles, insights, tools and methodologies designed to dramatically help companies achieve highly profitable, top-line revenue growth. Through his work, Mr. Lucas has developed a depth of industry experience in several sectors - including the marketing, media and information services sector, as well as distribution, retail, manufacturing and outsourced services. Prior to founding The Lucas Group in 1991, he was a Partner at Bain & Company, a leading international management consulting firm. Recently, he has also been active in the start-up of several successful ventures. He is a founder and major shareholder in deNovis, (www.denovis.com), a venture backed software and technology provider to the health insurance industry, and Biznews24, (www.bn24.com) a leading media streaming and business communications company. In addition, he earlier served these two companies respectively, as Chief Business Officer, and as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, during their start-up phases. After graduating from Yale College, Jay received his M.B.A. from the Harvard Law School and his J.D. from the Harvard Law School.

Paul Marcus, Director; Corporate Investor Relations Sales, Bigdough.com - Paul Marcus manages the Corporate Investor Relations business group at bigdough.com and is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with corporate clients. Throughout his career at Bigdough, Paul has talked with thousands of companies and Investor Relations Officers to help them better understand the value of building shareholder relationships and introduce the tools necessary to achieve that goal. In 2001, he led a special projects group at bigdough which resulted in the release of the Shareholder Relationship Management system, a powerful blend of relationship management software, a communications platform and a capital markets database. Paul routinely speaks to investor relations audiences on the benefits of systematic relationship building in IR, and the importance of goal setting in the targeting process. Paul graduated from Skidmore College and currently resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Robert A. Solomon, Esq.; Founder and Partner, Solomon Pearl Blum Heymann & Stich LLP, a law firm with offices in New York City, New York, Denver, Colorado and the U.S. Virgin Islands - Rob Solomon practices U.S. corporate and securities law, including representation of private and public companies, committees of the Board of Directors, management, and independent directors. His practice includes listing and continued listing of securities, preparation of private placements and public offerings, merger and acquisition transactions, and related corporate and contractual work (employment, consulting and license agreements, for example). He is the co-author (with Clifford R. Pearl, a partner of the firm and Michael Semack, an associate of the firm) of the U.S. securities law chapter of International Securities Law published by BNA International Inc. He regularly speaks and moderates on topics of corporate and securities law.

Seminar Webcast

Because of the interest in this seminar, a delayed webcast will be available beginning the week of September 30th. It will be able to be accessed through the NJ-NIRI Chapter's website at www.njniri.org. The webast is being provided through the auspices of CCBN (www.ccbn.com) - the global leader in enabling direct communications between public companies and the investment community over the Internet. CCBN builds, manages and hosts the IR sections of Web sites for over 2,500 companies, and conducts more than 4,000 webcasts per quarter. CCBN has also created a revolutionary investor distribution network that delivers an unprecedented body of direct corporate information to the largest collective audience of institutional and individual investors in cyberspace.

About the New Jersey Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)

The New Jersey Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NJ-NIRI) is committed to furthering the profession of investor relations through a strong commitment to education. In 1995, the NJ-NIRI Chapter began a dialog with Fairleigh Dickinson University that resulted in the first graduate course in investor relations offered in the United States; a second course offering is planned for 2003 that will be international in scope and web-based. Through the partnership with the Corporate Communications Institute of Fairleigh Dickinson University, the NJ-NIRI Chapter offers an impressive roster of briefings, seminars, symposia and other programs, each targeted towards the needs of Chapter members, senior corporate management, and senior communications executives.

About the Corporate Communication Institute (CCI) at Fairleigh Dickinson University

The Corporate Communication Institute at Fairleigh Dickinson University provides a world-class, research driven teaching program in Corporate Communication. CCI offers information on the best practices and theory of the profession to university students, practicing professionals, and scholars through traditional university courses, professional seminars and symposia, traditional publications, electronic and on-line media, and briefings and white papers. Devoted to the theory and practice of corporate communication, The Corporate Communication Institute provides vital information for corporate practitioners, as well as scholars, policy makers, and the general public.