Firm Announces Promotions

ATLANTA, Jan. 28, 2009 - LEVEL5, a consulting and facilities development firm specializing in financial institutions, announced that J.F. Kassler, current president, CEO and one of the company's founders, will move to the position of chairman of the board and Brad Eller, COO, has been named the new president and CEO. Additionally, Mike Colvin, senior vice president has been named executive vice president to reflect his expanded responsibilities. As chairman, Kassler will focus on growth and strategic initiatives for the company. Eller will be responsible for ongoing operations and corporate planning. Colvin's expanded role includes working closely with the CEO on day to day operations as well as formalizing account strategies for asset clients. These new roles enable Kassler, Eller, and Colvin to better support LEVEL5's continued success as a leader in facilities development for financial institutions. John Hyche, senior vice president, principal and founding partner of LEVEL5, will continue to lead Strategic Consulting initiatives for its clients, and in view of current financial issues in the financial markets, will focus on expanded consulting assignments.


"LEVEL5's mission to assist financial institutions in their growth through strategic expansion is more important in today's economy than ever before," said Brad Eller, president and CEO of LEVEL5. "Financial institutions realize the need to create an environment where customers are drawn to conduct their business, and we can ensure that happens. Financial institutions that can build and maintain a strong market share in today's economy will be the industry leaders of tomorrow."


With more than 35 years of experience in financial facilities development, Kassler has served hundreds of clients in various capacities, from strategic development, real estate acquisition and development, to construction management. Leveraging that knowledge and expertise as chairman, Kassler will continue to play an active role in guiding LEVEL5's further expansion in the financial sector. Prior to founding LEVEL5, Kassler co-founded KDA, Inc. in 1982. In addition to LEVEL5's recent ranking as the 51st fastest growing private company on Inc. Magazine's 2008 Inc. 500 list, Kassler was featured in the magazine as one of five CEO's profiled in a special report about the outside interests of Inc. 500 entrepreneurs.


As president and CEO, Eller will be charged with leading LEVEL5's growth through the development of client relationships, creative business solutions, and process management to affect strong client results. To ensure success, Eller will call on his more than 20 years of design/build and construction management experience. Prior to joining LEVEL5 as COO, Eller was a SVP and principal-in-charge of one of Bovis Lend Lease's largest offices, where he managed over $250 million annually in projects. At Bovis Lend Lease, Eller was responsible for the development and implementation of strategic plans to penetrate new market sectors while overseeing employees and increasing the company's growth and profitability. Eller's work has been recognized by the Design-Build Institute of America's Project of the Year award.


In his role as executive vice president, Colvin will apply his 35 years of consulting, site selection, and design-build experience with three international firms, to assist Eller in managing and growing the company while consulting with LEVEL5's clients on their financial facility needs. He will focus much of his efforts on directing the company's overall business acquisition process while personally attending to asset clients. Colvin said, "LEVEL5's expanded offering of strategic consulting services coupled with our innovative integration of functionality, technology, merchandizing, and branding in retail branches and administrative/operations facilities is receiving a lot of attention in this ever changing and challenging financial market place."


"We have enjoyed helping financial institutions develop and implement growth strategies that have propelled them to a higher level of service," said J.F. Kassler, chairman, LEVEL5. "Our company has evolved into a dominant player in the financial industry, as evidenced by our industry awards and clients' accolades. I look forward to actively leading the company's future growth while we meet and exceed client expectations."


About LEVEL5

Headquartered in Atlanta, LEVEL5 is a consulting and facilities development firm that works exclusively with financial institutions across the United States. The company assists institutions develop and implement growth strategies through unique services that include strategic consulting, real estate, integrated design, construction management and branding. The company ranked 51st on the 2008 Inc. 500 and 2nd in both the Top 100 Construction Companies and Top 100 Businesses in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga. Lists. Atlanta Business Chronicle also selected LEVEL5 as a winner of its 13th Annual Pacesetters Award and ranked it as the 28th fastest-growing private company in Atlanta. For more information about LEVEL5, call 404.761.0008 or visit http://www.LEVEL5.com.