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Mary Ann Halford
President/CEO/Co-founder

Mary Ann Halford is a senior media and entertainment executive with a career as an operator, strategist and deal maker in the media and entertainment industry. Ms. Halford's decision to co-found The Fair Network in 2005 with Gerry Byrne emanated from her experience in the state and county fair arm of the out-of-home entertainment market. Ms. Halford was a key figure in the formation of North American Midway Entertainment, LLC, a consolidation of the top midway operators servicing North America's state and county fair market, having been a co-founder of the preceding entity, El Camino Entertainment Group, Inc. and one of the key architects of the consolidation plan.

From January 2002 to 2005, Ms. Halford ran Global Media Strategies, LLC, a New York-based operation and corporate development advisory firm for the global media and entertainment industry which she founded. In addition to its work with North American Midway Entertainment, Ms. Halford has also facilitated the formation of other enterprises, including BODVOD, a video-on-demand service featuring "Bollywood" feature films from India and distributed on the Time Warner and Comcast cable systems and pb-Travel, a producer and distributor of distinctly branded travel products. In addition, consulting clients have included MTV Networks, LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., a leading developer of innovative technology-based learning products, Carmichael Training Systems, a preeminent providers of remote access coaching services founded by Chris Carmichael, legendary coach of Lance Armstrong, and Crest Animation Studios Limited, the leading computer generation animation studio india with a significant US based operation.

Prior to returning to New York in 2002, Ms. Halford had overall responsibility for managing Fox International Entertainment Channels. For over four years, Ms. Halford ran all aspects of Fox-branded channels in Latin America, Europe and Japan, including programming, marketing, affiliate sales and advertising sales. In addition, she ran Fox Kids Latin America on behalf of the Fox Family organization through its acquisition by Disney in 2001. She also built synergies across the Fox organization, including launching the National Geographic Channel in Latin America and the Fox News Channel in both Latin America and Europe.

Prior to Fox, Ms. Halford was a partner of Inter./comm. Management, a Los Angeles-based advisory firm. She also held several corporate development positions for two entertainment companies - Solomon International Enterprises, an international television company founded by television executive Michael Solomon, and The Samuel Goldwyn Company, a diversified independent filmed entertainment company. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1990, Ms. Halford was the Chief Operating Officer of Cinema Research Corporation, a post production company.

Prior to working in the media and entertainment industry, Ms. Halford worked at New York-based Bankers Trust Company in its Media Corporate Finance Group and Latin American Merchant Banking Group in New York. Early in her career, she worked at the Chase Manhattan Bank in their loan restructuring group.

Ms Halford is a graduate of Harvard University Graduate School of Business and Georgetown University. She is a Trustee of the Georgetown University Baker Scholar Program and an East Coast Advisory Board Member of GEMA (Georgetown Entertainment Media Alliance). She and her husband, actor/comedian Kevin Meaney, reside in Westchester County and are the parents of Kate Meaney, age 6.


Wendi Daniels
SVP Sales and Marketing

Wendi Elizabeth Daniels is the SVP of Marketing and Sales. She has worked in sales and marketing in the entertainment industry for the last 14 years. Her vast media deal making experience included negotiating and closing strategic alliances for: consumer brands, advertising partnerships, licensor representation agreements and manufacturer licensing deals.

Prior to joining The Fair Network, Wendi worked at Viacom Plus the integrated marketing and sales group that custom-creates marketing solutions for Fortune 500 companies using the entire portfolio of Viacom media assets. Her contributions included custom marketing platforms for clients such as Novartis, Tyson and Barnes & Noble resulting in millions of incremental advertising revenue for Viacom.

Before joining Viacom in 2003, Daniels worked as an independent consultant to Time Inc, Safeway Stores and Gayle Reichler (life coach at Avon) on individual brand extension projects. Prior to consulting, Wendi worked in Marketing and Sales for United Media, whose properties included National Geographic, Snoopy, Dilbert and Good Ol' Charlie Brown. Her responsibilities included selling and negotiating all toy deals for the company's many properties with clients such as Hallmark, Hasbro and Mattel. In addition she was in-house consultant on teen trends and behaviors. Before United Media, Wendi worked at Marvel Entertainment Group negotiating consumer licensing deals for Spider-Man and X-Men.

Earlier in her career, Daniels worked as a buyer for JC Penney and a strategic marketing consultant to the President of Mexx International. In addition she worked on staff creating fundraising events for a U.S. Presidential candidate during his Campaign.

A native of Boston, Wendi graduated with a BS from Cornell University in Psychology and received her MBA in Marketing from New York University. A New York City resident, she is an avid skier, hiker and photographer.


Gavin Byrne
VP Online Services & Business Development

Gavin Byrne, Vice President of Online Services & Business Development, has been involved in launching businesses for more than ten years, with most of his professional experience in internet media. His specific expertise is in site construction, creative deployment, technology implementation and business development.

Prior to joining The Fair Network, Gavin was an Associate Producer for <kpe>, where he oversaw project development from pitch to completion. His extensive list of projects included Discovery Networks, Sony, and Bechtel.

Additionally, while at <kpe>, he managed an internal entrepenural department, taking new business ideas from within <kpe> and overseeing development until point of sale or stand alone operations. The first such project from this group was www.goodstory.com, a global on-line literary marketplace which he supervised until sale to Creative Planet in 2000. His first entrepreneurial endeavor began in 1996 and was an on-line restaurant database servicing various communities across the United States.

A native of New York City, Gavin has received his undergraduate education from University of Colorado - Boulder and Fordham University. He currently resides in Manhattan and is an avid angler, skier, and roller blader.


Gerry Byrne
Advisor/Co-founder

Gerry Byrne Media Partners LLC was formed in September 2002 as a full service media and marketing consultancy to the entertainment, communications and media industries. Parade Magazine, Reed Business Information (RBI) and Tribeca Entertainment are primary clients. Additionally, supported by RBI, as Chairman of the newly created Quills Literacy Foundation and Executive Chairman of de Plumen LLC, Mr. Byrne is leading the 2005 launch of "The Quills", a consumer-driven book awards program celebrating the written word.

Gerry Byrne joined Stagebill Media as President and Chief Executive Officer and partner in April 2000. Stagebill, a luxury media advertising platform, and Performing Arts Magazine, which was acquired in mid-2001, were acquired by Playbill Inc. in June, 2002. Stagebill, America's foremost custom publisher for the performing arts, provided performance programs for over 120 venues including: Lincoln Center, Washington' s Kennedy Center, Chicago's Lyric, and Steppenwolf, and LA's Geffen Theater and Music Center. Avenue, New York's publication for affluent lifestyle, acquired by Stagebill Media in August 2001 was sold to New York's Manhattan Media Group in August 2002.

Prior to Stagebill, Mr. Byrne was the Group Vice President and Publisher of Variety and Daily Variety for 11 years, during which Variety significantly raised its profitability, launched new editions, and expanded its role as a leader in entertainment publications and web sites. Mr. Byrne led the launch of Daily Variety's "Gotham Edition" in March 1998. The Variety/Schroder "Big Picture" Conference, The Variety Leadership Forum, Variety.com, and Variety Book Publishing were also a part of his executive responsibilities. He joined Variety from Norman Lear's ACT III Publishing where he was Senior Vice President of Planning and International Development. Prior to Act III, while at Crain Communications, Mr. Byrne was the start-up publisher of both Electronic Media (now Television Week) and Crain's New York Business. At Advertising Age, also a Crain property, Mr. Byrne held positions first as the International Sales Director then as New York Sales Director. His career in publishing began at The New York Daily News in 1969.

Mr. Byrne is on the boards of The American Museum of the Moving Image, The Creative Coalition, The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, The Armory Foundation, The Reisenbach Foundation, The Fisher House Foundation, The Intrepid Museum Foundation, VeteransAdvantage and The New York City Police Museum. He is also an American Friend of the National Film & Television School in London. Mr. Byrne was awarded the "Salah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Award" at ShowEast '96 for his community involvements. New York's Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center's 2002 Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mr. Byrne for his business leadership and for his support of causes that benefit humanity. Additionally, the NYPD Marine Corps Association awarded Mr. Byrne its 2002 "Semper Fi" Award for his work in the community. Mr. Byrne is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, The British Academy of Film & Television Arts, The New York Athletic Club, and The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick.

Mr. Byrne is a native New Yorker and a 1966 graduate of Fordham College. He served as a United States Marine Corps Officer in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969 and was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon and the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V.

Mr. Byrne and his wife, Elizabeth, have two children. Son, Gavin, 27, who attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, is a student at Fordham University in NY. Daughter, Megan, 30, an actress now with a recurring role on Law & Order, received her MFA in acting from the University of California, Irvine. Megan's undergraduate degree is from Middlebury College.


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