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Mr. Williams, 50, has served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer since November 1999 and has served as a director of the Company since 1998. Mr. Williams was one of the original founders of Star Tobacco, Inc., and served as Chief Operating Officer (COO), and Executive Vice President (EVP) until July 1999. On July 1, 1999, in order to concentrate upon the expanding demands of the Company’s sales and new product development, Mr. Williams resigned as COO and EVP to assume the primary responsibilities of Director of Product Development and Sales. Mr. Williams, a principal stockholder of the Company, is also the inventor of the StarCured® tobacco curing process for preventing or significantly retarding the formation of TSNAs in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Mr. Williams has been involved in venture capital start-up bio-tech companies for over a decade where he has been either a major shareholder or a co-founder of the following companies: LaserSight, LaserVision and VISX. Mr. Williams is also one of the owners of Regent Court Technologies LLC and is a principal in Jonnie Williams Venture Capital Corp. | 