AEA Announces Key West Coast Executive Appointments; Emphasis on California and West Coast Commitment.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 1, 1999--

The American Electronics Association (AEA) today announced three key executive appointments that underscore the 3,000-member trade group's commitment to California and the Western states. -0-

--   Mark Albertson has been named to the newly created position of
     senior vice president, California and the West, overseeing all
     AEA programs and activities in California, Washington, Oregon,
     Arizona and Colorado.

--   Teresa Casazza has been promoted to the new position of vice
     president of California Public Affairs and will report to
     Albertson.

--   Grace Davis has been named executive director of the AEA Bay Area
     Council, which represents almost 900 high-tech companies. She
     also reports directly to Albertson.

-0-

William T. Archey, AEA president and CEO, said the appointments reflect a continuing commitment by AEA to its membership in California and the other Western states. "As in the past, AEA is dedicated to serving its Western constituency. With a burgeoning industry growth in all areas, these new AEA executives are chartered to spearhead our continuing programs and new activities in the West.

"These moves represent an association-wide emphasis on state programs resulting from an increasing involvement of AEA members in state policy efforts throughout the country," Archey added.

In addition to overall management of eight AEA regional councils in the Western States, Albertson will be specifically responsible for overseeing the trade association's government relations programs in California and for oversight of state policy activities throughout the United States.

Albertson joins AEA from Amdahl Corp., where he was vice president, Corporate Relations, responsible for public affairs and corporate communications. Part of his responsibilities at Amdahl included serving as liaison with key public affairs associations such as AEA.

He has been active in a number of industry policy areas, including taxation of electronic commerce on the Internet and strengthening literacy in schools throughout California.

A 1998 graduate of the Community Leadership San Jose Program, he also serves on the Board of Directors of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. He holds a B.A. degree with honors in urban and public affairs from Stanford University.

As vice president, California Public Affairs, Teresa Casazza will implement AEA's high tech legislative plan in California, while serving as senior policy spokesperson on state issues. She will work with council leaders and member company executives across the United States to coordinate key policy initiatives for the high technology industry.

Casazza has been AEA's veteran lobbyist in Sacramento. She has been instrumental in building the trade group's Sacramento lobbying team, now celebrating its 10th year, and in establishing the organization as a strong and responsible voice for the high-tech industry in Sacramento.

A CPA, Casazza was formerly with Price Waterhouse, where she specialized in multi-state tax consulting. She has a B.A. in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Grace Davis joined AEA in 1998 from the California staff of Congressman Pete Stark where she was district director managing a staff of five professionals. Prior to that, she was press secretary/legislative aide for Congressman Stark in Washington, D.C.

As Bay Area Council executive director, Davis will direct the programs and activities of the 900-member regional group and act as liaison with AEA's Sacramento and Washington, D.C., public policy staffs.

Davis holds a B.A. in Political Science from San Jose State University and is a 1999 Board member of the Community Technology Alliance.

The American Electronics Association is the nation's largest high-tech trade group, representing almost 3,000 U.S.-based technology companies. Membership spans the industry product and service spectrum, from semiconductors and software to computers, Internet and telecommunications systems and services.

With 18 regional U.S. councils and offices in Brussels, Tokyo and Beijing, AEA offers a unique global policy grassroots capability and a wide portfolio of valuable business services and products for the high-tech industry. For 56 years, AEA has been the accepted voice of the U.S. technology community.