Michael S. Shannon joined our board of directors in September 2003. Mr. Shannon founded KSL Capital Partners in 2004 and founded its predecessor KSL Recreation Corporation in 1992, serving as its president and chief executive officer. He founded and became chief executive officer of KSL Resorts (manager of golf courses and destination resorts in the U.S.) in 2004 following the sale of KSL Recreation Corporation. Before joining our board, Mr. Shannon was lead director of ING Americas. Mr. Shannon currently serves as a director of ING Direct, the Vail Valley Foundation, the United States Ski and Snowboard Association and Eisenhower Memorial Hospital. Shannon co-founded our predecessor KSL Recreation Corporation in 1992, serving as its President and Chief Executive Officer. He co-founded and became Chief Executive Officer of KSL Resorts in 2004 following the sale of KSL Recreation. Prior to establishing KSL Recreation, he served as President and CEO of Vail Associates, Inc. (owner of Vail and Beaver Creek resorts) in Vail, Colorado, from 1986 to 1992. He currently serves on the boards of the United States Ski and Snowboard Team Foundation, the Northwestern University Board of Trustees, the University of Wisconsin Foundation, the Vail Valley Foundation, Eisenhower Medical Center and is the Chairman of the Board of Vail Health Services. He is a member of the World Presidents' Organization. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Management in Accounting and Finance from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.