Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) Names New Officers and Board Members.

2006 - 2007 Officers and Directors to Build on a Tradition of Award-Winning Initiatives

BOSTON -- The Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) today announced its board of directors for the 2006-2007 term. Eight Directors will hold Officer positions on the Board. The officers are David Calusdian who will serve as President, Brian Norris as President-Elect, Kristen Galfetti as Secretary, Stephen Golden as Treasurer, Bob Joyce as Membership Chair, Beth Lewis and Jocelyn Philbrook will co-Chair Programming and Vaughn Harring will act as Communications Chair. Additionally, Jennifer Heizer of Mercury Computer Systems, Justine Koenigsberg of ViaCell, Inc., Anthony Takazawa of EMC Corporation, and Brooke Wagner of Indevus Pharmaceuticals were elected as new members of the Board. Past presidents of NIRI Boston, Andrew Kramer of Interactive Data Corporation, Jane McCahon at Conway Communications and Karen Warren of Hasbro will remain members of the Board.

The Boston Chapter is one of the oldest, largest and most innovative chapters in NIRI, a nationwide professional association of corporate officers and investor relations consultants responsible for communication among corporate management, the financial community and the investing public. NIRI Boston provides innovative monthly programs, often in collaboration with other professional groups, to create a greater understanding of effective and sound investor relations practices.

For the 2006-2007 term, the Chapter expects to continue attracting nationally recognized speakers. Past speakers at Chapter events have included: Henry Blodgett, former Internet sell-side analyst at Merrill Lynch; Jonathan Kraft, Vice Chairman and President of the New England Patriots; Lou Thompson, President & CEO of NIRI; and Walter Riccardi, Head of the SEC's Boston District Office. Plans call for presentations from a variety of financial analysts, outside speakers and a joint meeting with the Financial Executives International during the upcoming year.

About NIRI Boston Officers:

President- David Calusdian

David is executive vice president at Sharon Merrill Associates, a nationally recognized investor relations and corporate communications strategic advisory firm. David combines broad experience in investor relations, public affairs and media relations with a passion for quality service in providing Sharon Merrill Associates clients with strategic counsel and direct support on projects such as investor perception studies and corporate presentations and events such as investor road shows and analyst days. He also helps manage executive-level functions within the agency.

Prior to joining Sharon Merrill Associates in 1995, David implemented communications programs as an account executive for Jack Walsh & Associates, a public affairs consulting firm, and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs to discuss political communications strategy. For nearly 10 years, David served as an adjunct instructor of investor relations, public relations and public speaking at Emerson College, where for part of that time he also directed the school's media relations efforts.

David holds bachelor of arts and master's degrees in communications from Emerson College.

President ElectCoBrian Norris

Brian is director of investor relations for Massachusetts-based Acme Packet, Inc., the leader in session border control solutions which enables service providers to securely deliver voice, video and multimedia sessions across IP network borders.

Prior to joining Acme Packet in 2006, Brian spent over five years leading the investor relations function for MatrixOne, Inc. As vice president of investor relations for the Massachusetts-based software company, Brian was responsible for all aspects of strategic investor relations. At MatrixOne, Brian also had additional responsibilities in the areas of corporate strategy and business development, competitive financial analysis, financial planning, and corporate communications.

Prior to joining MatrixOne in 2001, Brian was manager of investor relations for CMGI, a diversified Internet operating and development company. Brian has also launched and executed investor relations programs for an environmental services company and a natural gas utility company. Prior to his work in investor relations, Brian held various positions within corporate financial planning, treasury operations, and financial analysis.

Brian holds a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Massachusetts and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Bentley College.

Secretary - Kristen Galfetti

Kristen is director of investor relations at Genzyme Corporation (NASDAQ:GENZ) one of the world's leading biotechnology companies located in Cambridge, MA.

After managing investor relations for the separate biosurgery division within the corporation, she took on the role as a co-primary spokesperson for the company when the tracking stock structure was eliminated in 2003. An 18-year veteran of accounting/finance positions and investor relations, Kristen has held senior financial posts creating and managing IR programs for corporations in numerous industries, including broadband technology, public transportation, publishing, medical devices and data communications. Prior to Genzyme, she served as director of investor relations at Artel Video Systems. She also held senior positions with Houghton Mifflin Company and UroMed Corporation.

Kristen earned an MBA degree from the McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley College, and a BA in political science from the University of Vermont.

Treasurer - Stephen Golden

Stephen Golden is director of investor relations for Iron Mountain Inc. (NYSE: IRM), the world leader in records management and data protection services with operations in more than 20 countries throughout North America, Europe and Latin America and more than $2 billion in annual revenues. The Company provides comprehensive services and expertise to help customers address their most complex information and storage issues. He joined Iron Mountain in 1996 as assistant controller and director of external reporting and held a senior acquisition analyst position prior to becoming the director of IR in 2003. While working in the M&A group, Stephen was responsible for monitoring the Company's expansion into Latin America. As director of IR, he is responsible for all financial communications and Company interaction with the investment community in both the equity and high yield debt markets. He works with the Directors of Corporate and Employee Communications to develop consistent corporate messaging.

Prior to joining Iron Mountain, Stephen worked as an auditor at the accounting firm of BDO Seidman, LLC and held various management positions at the Boston Harbor, the Ritz Carlton and the Copley Plaza hotels in Boston.

Stephen is a CPA and holds a BA in Philosophy from Colgate University and an MBA from Boston University.

Membership Chair - Bob Joyce

Bob is vice president and head of the Boston office of Financial Dynamics, an international business communications consultancy. With fifteen years of experience in communications and asset management, he leads communications programs for clients based in Boston and internationally. His client engagements range across multiple sectors, providing strategic counsel in the areas of investor relations, public relations, and special situations.

Prior to joining Financial Dynamics, Bob was vice president at FitzGerald Communications, a national corporate communications agency. As the head of FitzGerald's investor relations practice, he led the firm's capability surrounding financial communications, corporate repositioning, M&A, funding, IPO preparation, management changes and corporate crises. Bob managed programs for public and private companies primarily in the technology, life sciences, business services and financial services sectors. Formerly, Bob was a communications contractor supporting the investor relations function at leading information storage and management provider, EMC Corporation. Bob's experience in the securities industry includes working as an investment advisor for Cantella & Company as well as a division of American Express.

Bob holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and mathematics from Bridgewater State College.

Program Co-Chair - Beth Lewis

Beth recently led the investor relations and public relations activities for an enterprise software company, where she oversaw the full range of communications - from corporate positioning to financial disclosure to strategic counsel. Beth has close to twenty years' experience in the field of financial communications including six years managing the investor relations practice of a national communications firm. Previously she spent five years overseeing public relations strategy for FEMA, the federal government's crisis management agency. In addition to her communications experience, Beth started her career with positions as a research analyst at an economic consulting firm and credit analyst at a national banking institution.

Beth is a CFA level III candidate. She holds an MBA from Boston University and a BA from Tulane University.

Program Co-Chair - Jocelyn Philbrook

Jocelyn is director of investor relations and corporate communications at Sonus Networks (NASDAQ: SONS). After leading investor relations for the company for the past three years, she has recently taken on the new position as head of corporate communications. Before establishing Sonus' investor relations program in 2001, she served as director of investor relations at Enterasys, a Cabletron company, where she was instrumental in launching Enterasys into the public market as an independent company. Jocelyn also played a key role in Cabletron's planned divestiture of three other operating companies, Riverstone Networks, Aprisma and Global Network Technology Services. Prior to working in Cabletron's investor relations group, she spent four years in the company's finance organization.

Joycelyn holds a B.S. degree in finance from the University of New Hampshire.

Communications Chair - Vaughn Harring

Vaughn manages media relations at MRO Software, an IBM company, and the leading provider of asset and service management solutions. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the field of corporate communications, and is currently responsible for defining, developing and executing the Company's media relations and corporate communications strategies.

Prior to joining MRO Software in 2001, Vaughn held management positions at Genuity, Inc., and its predecessor companies, GTE Internetworking and BBN Corporation. At Genuity, he developed and executed the communications strategy associated with the company's name change, and later its $1.9 billion public offering.

Vaughn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from St. Lawrence University.

About NIRI Boston

The Boston Chapter of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) is the third-largest and one of the oldest chapters of NIRI. Founded in 1969, NIRI is a professional association of corporate officers and investor relations consultants responsible for communication among corporate management, the investing public and the financial community. Members represent the majority of the largest publicly held corporations in the U.S. as well as many small and mid-sized companies. With more than 4,300 members in 35 chapters around the country, NIRI sets the highest standards in education designed to advance the practice of investor relations and meet the professional development needs of those engaged in the field. NIRI Boston is consistently recognized as one of the most innovative chapters by providing value-added, educational programming and delivering leading-edge member services. For more information about NIRI Boston, visit www.niriboston.org.