Who We Are

James T. Rea, President

Mr. Rea entered the investment counseling profession in 1969, and has been in that business continuously since.

He was the Founder of Rea, Nelson & Staight, Inc., and James T. Rea & Associates, Inc. Both firms were Registered Investment Advisers and provided investment counseling services to individuals, families, trusts, pension and profit sharing plans and charitable organizations.

In 1985, James T. Rea & Associates, Inc. became affiliated with Bank in Liechtenstein(Vaduz). Mr. Rea was appointed Senior Vice President and West Coast Regional Manager for BIL Management, Inc., Bank in Liechtenstein's U.S.investment counseling subsidiary.

James T. Rea & Associates, Inc. was purchased by Bank in Liechtensteinin 1987. He was appointed Managing Director and West Coast Regional Manager. He served on the Board of Directors of the company, and on the Board of Directors of BIL, Trainer Wortham Trust Company of New York. In 1989, he left Bank in Liechtenstein to form Brookside Capital, Inc.

Mr. Rea attended the Menlo College School of Business Administration, and graduated Cum Laude in 1967 with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. Postgraduate work was continued at The University of California and Stanford University, including the Investment Management Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business in 1981.

He is a member of the Association for Investment Management and Research, The Security Analysts of San Francisco, the International Society of Ecological Economics, the Wealth Advisor Institute and The Investment Advisors Association. He is an active member of the Global Security Institute and the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco, where he has served on their Board of Directors. In 1993, he was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the School of Managementat at the St. Petersburg University in Russia. He was a participant in the charter State of the World Forum in 1995, sponsored by the Gorbachev Foundation.

Mr. Rea lives in San Francisco with his daughter, Suzanne, and his wife, Linda.

Marilyn Thomas, Board of Advisors

Thomas received her Bachelor of Arts from Marian College of Fond du Lac in 1965
(English and Education). Followed by a Master of Arts, University of Minnesota, 1973 (English), a Doctor of Philosophy, University of Minnesota, Cumulative GPA 3.89, 1976 (English). Thomas participated in Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships at Yale University: National Endowment for the Humanities, 1980; Oxford University: 1995, 1998, and 1999; and Cambridge University: National Endowment for the Humanities, 2002.

Thomas started her teaching profession in 1965 with elementary education; returned to Marian College for 10 years where she served both as administrator and teacher and in 1986 Thomas graced the staff at Menlo College in Atherton, CA where she still resides. Thomas has been a member of the Board of Directors for Brookside Capital since 1996. Thomas’ publications include Church, City, and Labyrinth in Brontë, Dickens, Hardy, and Butor, Peter Lang Publishing Inc. New York, 1993; and Victorian Conscience: F. W. Robertson, (biography) Peter Lang Publishing, 2001.

Professional Membership Affiliations: Member, Board of Directors of Brookside Capital, San Francisco, CA, 1996 – Present; Honorary Member, Board of Governors, Harris Manchester College, Oxford University; Member, Association of Business Communicators (1986 - 1990); Member, Association of Literary Scholars and Critics (ALSC) 1998 – Present; Listed in the Directory of American Scholars published by Gale Research; National Association of Scholars, 2000 to Present; Nineteenth Century Studies Association, 2000 to Present; Association of British Popular Culture, 2002 to Present; and Modern Language Association, 2003 to Present.

Leon Cooper, Board of Advisors

Mr.Cooper is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Deco America Corporation and its subsidiaries and has been since January 1, 2000. Prior to that he was a Partner of Lewis, D'Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard in the Corporate Law Department and was the Group Leader for the firm's Business Transaction Group. His extensive professional experience includes title, real estate, trust and business litigation; corporate and securities transactions; particularly initial public offerings; secondary public offerings; private placements; leveraged buyouts; corporate finance; mergers and acquisitions; real estate transactions; labor law and equal opportunity issues; design and preparation of corporate preventive law programs, and alternative dispute resolutions.

As the Chief Executive Officer and President of Grupo Deco America, he was responsible for the corporate organization of the subsidiaries, including Deco California Insurance Company, Deco Texas Partners, L.P. and Deco Trading Company. He also provided leadership in acquiring the real property for the Pico Rivera project and the acquisitions of six funeral homes in California and two in Texas. He has been active in developing relationships with financial institutions, insurance companies, and investment bankers. He is negotiating financial arrangements and a private placement for Grupo Deco America.

After graduating from UCLA with honors (1944-Phi Beta Kappa), Mr. Cooper earned his law degree at Harvard in 1949 and an L.L.M. at the University of Southern California, 1965. He is a member of Los Angeles County and American Bar Associations and is admitted to practice in California, Massachusetts and before all U.S. District Courts in California, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mr. Cooper is a former member and chairman of the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board. Mr. Cooper has been a member and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Santa Catalina Conservancy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Weatherby Foundation, and a member of the Board of Advisers for Brookside Capital, Inc.

Mr. Cooper holds the rank of Lt. Commander, USNR (ret.) for service at sea in destroyers during World War II and Korea.

Dr. New has over thirty years experience in the medical device industry. He is the Chairman of Natus Medical, Inc. He was the co-founder and chairman of Nellcor Incorporated (developer of pulse oximetry) before founding Natus in 1989. In addition to serving on the boards of several corporate, academic and public sector organizations, Dr. New has been a member of the clinical anesthesia faculty at Stanford University Medical Center since 1975, and has chaired the Board of Visitors, Duke University Medical Center since 1994. Dr. New earned masters degrees in engineering and business at Stanford University, his medical degree at Duke University and a Ph.D. in physiology from UCLA. He has authored twelve papers and holds several patents.

Mr. Matthews is Chairman, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of Matthews International Capital Management, LLC, the Investment Advisor to the Matthews Asian Funds.

Mr. Matthews is Portfolio Manager of the Matthews Asian Growth and Income Fund and is co-manager of the Matthews Pacific Tiger, Matthews Korea, Matthews China, Matthews Asian Technology and Matthews Asia Pacific Funds. He has been actively investing in the Asian markets since 1982. In 2002, Mr. Matthews was named Value Line Fund Manager of the Year. Prior to founding Matthews International Capital Management, LLC in 1991, Mr. Matthews built his career at G.T. Capital Management. Mr. Matthews holds an M.A. in History and Law from Cambridge University.

Charles J. Hart, Board of Advisors

Mr. Hart, a Founder, is responsible for the overall management of Vault-IT, Inc.. He most recently served as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of MediaAlive, Inc. and CEO of Micronics Computers, Inc. Before Micronics, he was a founding member of the Board of Directors and active in the launch of InsWeb Corporation, which went public in 1999. Prior to InsWeb, he spent three years in the global networking security industry with Semaphore Communications Corporation and Phaser Systems, Inc. as President and CEO. Mr. Hart has also held CEO positions with other innovative hardware and software companies, including LAN pioneer Nestar Systems, Inc. and Etak, Inc., a leader in geographic information and vehicle navigation systems. Mr. Hart was named to the Micro Times 50, a roster of the fifty most influential people in the computer industry. His community involvement includes: Past President and member of the Board of Directors of The HealthStore Foundation, past Chairman of the Board of the San Jose Symphony, past CEO of the Ballet San Jose, past president and co-founder of the Association for Corporate Growth of Silicon Valley, and recently was the Commodore of the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. While as an officer in the United States Air Force, he served as a Squadron Commander. Mr. Hart earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Maryland and completed Stanford University’s AEA Executive Institute in the Graduate School of Industrial Engineering.

J-Coby Wayne, Board of Advisors

Energy Adventures Tour Guide
Poet | Artist | Creativity Mentor

J-Coby Wayne is Co-Founder of Energy Arts Alliance + serves as its Chief Experience Guide. She is also Founder of e3 Poetry. Energy Arts Alliance is a growth + evolution organization + community that helps adventurous, socially-conscious people, organizations + communities evolve themselves + make a difference through coaching + consulting, education, technology + community-building services. e3 Poetry is dedicated to the creation, sharing + showcasing of original works of poetry that contribute to evolution + social progress. J-Coby's professional career roles have included strategic planner, futurist, researcher + Internet consultant for Fortune 500 companies + major NGOs; media expert; speaker; executive trainer + coach; editor, ghostwriter + author. She received her traditional education of Bachelor of Arts + Master of Arts with honors at Brown University + the Fletcher School of Law + Diplomacy at Harvard + Tufts Universities in International Relations, Diplomatic History, Political Science, Art History + International Environmental Policy.

Jeremy A. Woan, Board of Advisors

Jeremy Woan is primarily based in San Francisco, CA where he is CEO of the Bampton Group. Bampton is a venture capital investment and advisory firm with offices in San Francisco and the UK that for the past ten years has successfully invested in and worked with a wide range of transatlantic and US technology companies. All companies in which Bampton has invested have subsequently gone on to IPO or trade sale. Through his work Woan has served as a board member and chairman of various private and public companies in fields including enterprise software, cellular telephony, healthcare technology and services, and media. Bampton is currently working with investors in its new fund focused on the transatlantic expansion of technology and telecoms companies.

Previously, Woan successfully built two technology companies through to IPO, one company in high performance notebook computing and the other in electronic patient record systems. In each case a business model was pursued where the companies started in the UK but built the majority of their business and activities in the USA and became the leaders in their space. Prior to this he worked for 8 years for several leading international investment banking firms where he specialized in the transatlantic growth and financing of small and medium technology companies and worked on a wide range of UK and international IPO.s.

Woan is a frequent panellist and speaker at US and European conferences on early stage technology investing and especially on the issues of raising finance and building a management team domestically and internationally. He holds graduate degrees from Cambridge University in law and public international law. He is also 2007 Entrepreneur in Residence at the McGuire School of Entrepreneurship within the University of Arizona.s Eller College of Management. Outside his work commitments Woan is an international sailor and former member of the British sailing team who has coached many high school and college athletes in Northern alifornia to medals in the Junior Olympics program. He chairs the Northern California branch f the Cambridge Alumni and is a board member of the San Francisco Branch of the English-Speaking Union, the Silicon Valley chapter of the British American Business Council and the Development Board of Downing College, Cambridge.

Joseph F. Lane, Board of Advisors

Joseph F. Lane is a proven tax and technology executive with 30 years combined hands-on experience managing government tax administration operations, leading tax practitioner organizations and building private sector technology development alliances. Mr. Lane’s experience spans government tax agencies, Fortune 500 corporations, medium size companies and start-ups. As Director of Bankruptcy Trustee Services for PropertyRoom.com, the online auction site, he drives the company focus on business expansion and strategic relationship development for the growing bankruptcy trustee marketplace.

After graduating from Hofstra University, Mr. Lane began his career with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and served in the Washington DC National Office, the San Francisco Regional Office, and the Brooklyn, Honolulu, Hartford and Manhattan District Offices. Rising rapidly through the IRS management command structure, he served as a Division Chief in the Honolulu, Hartford and Manhattan assignments.

After ten years in government, Mr. Lane left to begin a private tax consulting practice in Palo Alto, California. He and his staff provided over 600 clients with tax planning, preparation and defense services. Mr. Lane is the co-author of a college textbook on Business Management. He became involved in furthering the continuing professional education goals of his industry and helped form the National Association of Enrolled Agents’ Education Foundation.

Mr. Lane was the Chairman of the National Association of Enrolled Agents’ Congressional Relations Committee for several years and in that capacity worked with the members of the major tax committees of both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives and their respective staffs in providing ideas, input and recommendations on proposed tax legislation and matters involving IRS oversight. He testified at numerous public hearings at the invitation of the committees and many of the NAEA recommendations were enacted into law. In recognition of his efforts, he received the NAEA Founder’s Award and was named by Accounting Today magazine to their Top 100 Most Influential People in Taxation four years in a row.

Thomas L. Rea, Board of Advisors

Mr. Rea is currently Founder and CEO of Executive Assessment Group, LLC which provides in depth executive assessment including, behavioral, psychological and medical review.

In 2006, Mr. Rea retired from Fisher Scientific International Inc., a $6.5 Billion NYSE listed company which is a leading provider of products & services to the scientific community. After almost 30 years, Mr. Rea finished his tenure as Sr. Vice President and Corporate Officer Responsible for Worldwide Human Resources, Government Affairs and Public Relations.

Mr. Rea is presently on the boards of Perspecta Trust, the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire and the Wright World War II Museum

He proudly holds a B.A. degree in Sociology from Boise State University and is also a “friend of Jim” (Cousin).

Matthew Janopaul, Board Of Advisors

Mr. Janopaul’s diverse career has ranged from roles as an operator within the consumer product and retail sectors as well as an investment professional in the public and private equity markets.

Mr. Janopaul is currently the President and CEO of Pasta Pomodoro, Inc, one of oldest and largest restaurant concepts based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He acquired Pasta Pomodoro, Inc. along with a partner in late 2009. Prior to that he was involved with Fender Musical Instruments, the worlds largest guitar and amplifier company. He held various roles with Fender that ranged from investor and board member to President and COO. During his tenure, the Company’s revenue grew by 300% and approached $800 million by 2008. As an investment professional, Mr. Janopaul’s most recent role was as General Partner of Weston Presidio, a leading $3.3. billion private equity firm based in San Francisco and Boston, where he was actively involved in management buyouts, recapitalizations, leveraged consolidations and growth financings across the consumer, industrial, service and publishing sectors. Prior to that he was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager of Brookside Capital.

Mr. Janopaul earned his B.A. in Economics from Duke University and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He was also awarded the Kauffman Fellowship by the Kansas City based Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and is actively involved in the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Craig Law, Operations Manager

Doreen Marino, Director of Client Services

Doreen is the Executive Assistant for Jim Rea and Director of Client Services for Brookside Capital. Doreen has over 20 years experience as an Executive Assistant. She is a competent, organized professional who has excellent technical, administrative, creative and organizational skills and is capable of working as part of a team or independently, using good judgment, sensitivity, discretion and confidentiality. She is capable of routinely juggling multiple priorities.

Doreen’s overall responsibilities include client communication, both verbal and written; organizing and mailing out quarterly client statements and letters; arranging Advisory Board meetings; updating the website and whatever else needs to be done to aide the company in running efficiently.