Direct Marketing Association's EVP & COO Ramesh Lakshmi-Ratan Elected to Easter Seals New Jersey Board of Directors

New York, NY, February 15, 2008 — Ramesh A. Lakshmi-Ratan, Ph.D., executive vice president & chief operating officer of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), was elected to the Board of Directors for Easter Seals New Jersey. The announcement was made by Easter Seals New Jersey Chief Executive Officer Brian Fitzgerald, and is effective immediately. Lakshmi-Ratan will also be participating on the “Development” and “Operations” committees.

Commenting on his election to the Board, Dr. Lakshmi-Ratan said, “I’m delighted to make a personal commitment to assist with this remarkable organization. Easter Seals New Jersey’s mission is to help people and families with disabilities and special needs to live, work, and play in their communities with equality, dignity, and independence. It is this passion for community and doing what is right that prompted me to join this extraordinary team.”

Easter Seals New Jersey believes that everyone has a valuable contribution to make to his or her community. While many individuals face challenges in today's society, the consumers served at Easter Seals must overcome hurdles far different than most.

The kinds of activities the average person might take for granted present the biggest challenges to nearly 7,000 consumers and their families throughout the state of New Jersey. Easter Seals New Jersey seeks to further empower people who face challenges in today's society, whether it be due to mental, physical, or developmental disabilities, or a combination thereof, or because of age, economic disadvantage, lack of employment training, socialization skills, parenting skills, or a secure family structure.

Dr. Lakshmi-Ratan is executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations that use and support multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA today represents nearly 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies.

With more than 25 years of experience marketing products and services in the business-to-business and business-to-consumer arenas, Dr. Lakshmi-Ratan is a proven senior executive with a combination of marketing, technology, and business-strategy skills and successful experience managing major operations in Fortune 100 companies as well as small public and private companies. Prior to joining DMA in April 2005, Lakshmi-Ratan served as the president of VocalTec Americas and senior vice president for strategy for VocalTec Communications Ltd, the Israeli Internet telephony pioneer and a leading telecom equipment provider. Previously, he served in a variety of management, business development, and marketing positions for Yellow Pages, Packetup Corporation, Lucent Technologies, Bell Laboratories, and AT&T.

Dr. Lakshmi-Ratan lives in New Providence, NJ. His wife Nancy has been involved with Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s North Jersey Affiliate for the past seven years in various projects, including chair positions with the Survivor Celebration of Life, Style for the Cure®, and the Pink Tie Ball® Auction. She is currently the Vice-Chair for Corporation Sponsorship for the First Annual Susan G. Komen North Jersey Race for the Cure which will be held this May.

About Easter Seals New Jersey

For 60 years, Easter Seals New Jersey’s services have been geared toward helping individuals remove obstacles along their path toward independence, inclusion and full community-integration. Presently, the comprehensive services and programs provided by Easter Seals include rehabilitation, residential and transitional services for people with physical, developmental and behavioral disabilities, case management and education, adult training day programs for the developmentally disabled, in-home personal assistance, camping, recreational and family respite services, employment services for senior citizens and adults with disabilities, interim housing and services for the homeless, and after school educational care and summer enrichment programs.

Through the assistance of individual donors and corporate sponsors, along with support from county, state and federal agencies, Easter Seals New Jersey continues in its commitment to create solutions and provide programs that produce tangible results in the lives of the people it serves. For more information on Easter Seals New Jersey and the services it provides, please contact us at 732-257-6662, or visit online at www.eastersealsnj.org.

About Direct Marketing Association (DMA)

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today represents nearly 3,600 companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 50 other nations, including a majority of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

In 2007, marketers — commercial and nonprofit — spent $173.2 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $2.025 trillion in incremental sales. In 2007, direct marketing accounted for 10.2 percent of total US gross domestic product. Also in 2007, there were 1.6 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported nearly 9.0 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 10.6 million US jobs.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

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