ACCOUNTABILITY

Prior to forming Carmel Capital Partners in 2002, Russell was a managing partner at Bedell Investment Counseling, LLC, a San Francisco bay area firm with $120 million in assets under management. He held the position of Director of Research & Portfolio Manager from 1996 to May 2001 at Bedell Investment Counseling, LLC. He was also the managing partner of the Harmony Fund, LP, a long/short investment fund. In 2019 Russell, along with Dr. Mark Laska, co-founded Eco Endowment Solutions (EES), a firm created to manage environmentally focused endowment capital. Russell graduated from San Diego State University.

Joined Messner & Smith in 2002 as an equity analyst and portfolio manager, becoming the firm’s Director of Research in 2006. He began his career in Chicago with Harris Associates L.P., which managed the Acorn and Oakmark Funds, before joining investment banking and brokerage firm Kemper/EVEREN Securities as an equity analyst in 1991. Thereafter he was an equity analyst and portfolio manager with RNC Capital Management in Los Angeles. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from DePaul University and completed graduate work at DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. Kevin was awarded the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1993 and has been a member of the national CFA Institute and various local CFA chapters since that time.

Led the retirement fund of a large California construction company as Portfolio Manager and Administrator prior to founding his own investment firm in 1974, Ellis C. Smith Investment Counsel, Inc. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the School of Business Administration, University of California Los Angeles, in 1965, and pursued graduate studies at San Diego State University. Ellis is a former Chairman of the Board of the San Diego Downtown YMCA and President of the Executive’s Association of San Diego. Currently a Trustee for the San Diego History Center and a Board Member of the San Diego Employers Association. He also served as a commissioned officer in the United States Naval Reserve.

Zack is an analyst on the Carmel Capital Partners' team and is responsible for sourcing and performing due diligence on private equity and real estate investment opportunities. Before joining Carmel, Zack was a Senior Associate in KPMG's deal advisory practice, focusing on performing financial due diligence on middle-market businesses across multiple sectors. He also spent a year with KPMG's Infrastructure Advisory Team, providing strategic financial support to clients contemplating large public projects. Zack holds a BS in both Finance and Accounting from Virginia Tech.

Prior to joining Carmel Capital, Shelly worked at Northwestern Mutual where she was Director of Operations. At Northwestern Mutual she was responsible for supervising back office operations, clients service and compliance functions. In addition to her time at Northwestern Mutual, Shelly has close to a decade of experience in the financial services industry covering a variety of different operational positions. She holds several industry licenses as well as her CA Notary Public License.

Mr. Smith joined Messner & Smith in August 2011, bringing with him over 10 years of administrative and operations management experience from the online and mobile gaming industries.  Previously Ryan served 6 years with Beeline Interactive (formerly known as Capcom Interactive), the mobile arm of the parent company Capcom where he helped establish the business from the ground up through facilities and space planning, travel and event logistics, and procurement.  Prior to that he worked with Sony Pictures Entertainment as a Marketing Coordinator and with America Online as an Associate Quality Assurance Engineer.  He graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Art.

Prior to joining Carmel Capital, Shelly worked at Northwestern Mutual where she was Director of Operations. At Northwestern Mutual she was responsible for supervising back office operations, clients service and compliance functions. In addition to her time at Northwestern Mutual, Shelly has close to a decade of experience in the financial services industry covering a variety of different operational positions. She holds several industry licenses as well as her CA Notary Public License.

Mr. Smith joined Messner & Smith in August 2011, bringing with him over 10 years of administrative and operations management experience from the online and mobile gaming industries.  Previously Ryan served 6 years with Beeline Interactive (formerly known as Capcom Interactive), the mobile arm of the parent company Capcom where he helped establish the business from the ground up through facilities and space planning, travel and event logistics, and procurement.  Prior to that he worked with Sony Pictures Entertainment as a Marketing Coordinator and with America Online as an Associate Quality Assurance Engineer.  He graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts in Art.