John A.

Areas of Expertise: Commodity Broker, Trader, and Analyst, Crop Marketing Hedging Consultant, Futures and Option Trading, Bio-fuels Value Added Feedstock Analysis and Hedging, Marketing, New Business Development, Radio Broadcasting, Website Development, and Microsoft Office. Alan grew up in Memphis, TN graduating from Christian Brothers High School in 1983. After graduating from the University of Memphis in 1987 with a B.A in Finance, Alan moved to Chicago where he worked in numerous trading pits at the CME and CBOT exchanges for McVean Trading and Stotler and Company. Alan started from the ground up in Chicago working as a runner, phone clerk, broker’s assistant, hot line clerk, and assistant grain analyst. His hard work and efforts lead to a position as grain analyst in the research department for Stotler and Company. In 1989, Alan took a position at Merrill Lynch with Marshall Persky, who was a well respected, prominent producer. From 1989 to 1993, Alan became proficient at servicing major accounts, executing volume transactions, performing market analysis in agriculture, energy, equity, and interest rates markets, and creating and managing The Persky Group’s 24 hour trading desks. Alan became the lead broker for The Persky Group, which at the time was Merrill Lynch’s largest commodity production desk. In 1993, Alan moved home to Memphis where he started STA Trading Services and the Iamhedged Crop Marketing Hedge Desk. He was President and Senior Partner from the inception of the company. He enjoys golf, fly fishing, exercising, and working.