Release Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Tull School of Accounting professor Dennis Beresford named to FEI Hall of Fame

ATHENS, Ga. — Terry College of Business accounting professor Dennis Beresford is among an inaugural group of five honorees inducted into the new Financial Executives International Hall of Fame during November 15 ceremonies in New York City.

The induction took place at the FEI Hall of Fame Gala, held at The Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Plaza to celebrate FEI's 75-year history and honor the five inductees.

"This is an opportune time to shine a deserved spotlight on those who represent executive excellence in the finance profession," said Colleen Cunningham, CEO and president of FEI. "As the inaugural class to our newly established FEI Hall of Fame, these gentlemen have set a precedent of excellence for those who will receive this honor in the years to come."

The FEI Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who epitomize the performance, leadership and integrity of the most exemplary financial executives throughout their careers. The 25-person selection committee was composed chiefly of past FEI chairmen and presidents.

Beresford served two terms (1987-97) as chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the body responsible for setting the accounting standards U.S. corporations must follow. He also served terms as vice chairman for the Financial Executives Research Foundation (1999-2003) and is an FEI member and advisory member to FEI's Committee on Corporate Reporting.

He is currently the Ernst and Young Executive Professor at the Terry College's J.M. Tull School of Accounting, whose faculty he joined in July 1997. Beresford also spent 26 years with Ernst and Young LLP, where he was a senior partner and national director of accounting.

Beresford is a director and chairman of the audit committee of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae). He is also a member of the boards of Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Legg Mason Inc., and served on the board of WorldCom/MCI during its Chapter 11 reorganization.

Beresford was nominated for the FEI honor by Philip D. Ameen, vice president and comptroller for General Electric Co. and a member of FEI's Committee on Corporate Reporting. Fellow inductees include Frank J. Borelli, former CFO and director of Marsh and McLennan Companies, Inc., and now senior adviser to Stone Point Capital; F. Gorham Brigham, senior vice president for commercial lending at Citizens Bank of Massachusetts in Boston; Robert Moore, a past president and CEO of FEI and former controller and CAO of Consolidated Natural Gas Company in Pittsburgh; and Charles Noski, former CFO at both ATandT and Northrop Grumman Corp. and current member of the board of directors of Microsoft.

Financial Executives International is the leading advocate for the views of corporate financial management. The 15,000 members of its 85 chapters in the U.S. and Canada hold policy-making positions as chief financial officers, treasurers and controllers.

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