Ron Burkle

Mr. Burkle is the managing partner and majority owner of The Yucaipa Companies, a private investment firm that invests primarily its own capital and that he co-founded in 1986. He is a trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a trustee of the J. Paul Getty Trust and a member of the Board of the Carter Center. Mr. Burkle also is a director of KB Home and Yahoo!. Member of the Dividend Committee. Mr. Ronald W. Burkle is a Managing Partner at The Yucaipa Companies, LLC, Yucaipa Corporate Initiative, L.P., Yucaipa Corporate Initiative II, L.P., Yucaipa American Alliance Fund I, L.P, and Yucaipa American Alliance Fund II, L.P. He co-founded the firm in 1986 and was the Managing Partner at Yucaipa Equity Partners I, L.P. Yucaipa has executed grocery chain mergers and acquisitions involving supermarket chains including Fred Meyer, Ralphs, and Jurgensen's, and owns stakes in about 35 companies including grocery chains A&P and Whole Foods Market Mr. Burkle is also a majority shareholder, and on the Board of Directors of numerous major corporations and national organizations: Golden State Foods, KB Home Corp, Occidental Petroleum, The J. Paul Getty Trust, and The Urban League to name a few. He is a major Democratic Party donor in California, a "personal friend" of the Clintons and has real estate interests in association with political operative/lobbyist Darius Anderson. Former CA Speaker of the House and San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown has provided "legal services" to Burkle.