Grew up a missionary kid, with parents serving in Africa, Europe and home.
My folks were with a mission radio station that took them first to Tangier, Morocco, then to Bern, Switzerland and finally to Cap Ferat, France.
Bachelor’s Degree in Business.
Finally finished my degree in business in 2007 at the age of 52.
30 years of business experience.
I have worked in numerous areas of business including sales, marketing, service and business development. Currently work in Gainesville, Florida, in the financial services industry. My work puts me in a position to help protect that dignity and assets of seniors, something I am passoinate about.
Proud parent of 6 children; 2 boys, 4 girls.
OK, they aren’t all mine; three belong to my wife who gave me three wonderful girls that were already potty trained.
An even prouder grandparent.
Kaleigh Marie was born in October and her cousin, Conner, just arrived in February.
An active member at Grace United Methodist Church at Fort Clarke in Gainesville.
I just took a trip to Los Mochis, Mexico with my stepdaughter and a group from the church. It was a fabulous trip that left us both with loads of great memories.
Good afternoon,
If you’ve ever been behind the wheel, you are well aware of the distractions and potential hazards on the road. Posit Science, the San Francisco-based leader in brain fitness, is launching a computer program called Drive Sharp, which helps exercise memory and target key roots of cognitive function – the brain’s ability to take in information from the senses quickly and accurately.
The two exercises that comprise Drive Sharp, Jewel Diver and Road Tour, focus on the visual systems of the brain that are essential to safe driving. The improvements to people’s reaction time, focus and ability to track multiple objects are remarkable. According to clinical tests:
•Drive Sharp can cut your risk of a car crash by up to 50 percent
•It increases useful “field of view” by up to 200 percent
•The program reduces stopping distance by up to 22 feet at 55 mph
Drive Sharp is being launched July 13 in partnership with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and will be available for download or CD, at http://www.PositScience.com, for $139. The product is also being promoted for AAA members at http://www.DriveSharp.PositScience.com.
I will follow up with you shortly to see if you are interested in speaking with someone from Posit Science, the AAA Foundation or a consumer who has tested the product. I can provide any additional information you may need, in the meantime, or brainstorm story ideas with you. I also can provide the program to you for your review.
Kind regards,
Rebecca Porterfield
For Posit Science
800-837-7123
CONFIDENTIAL – EMBARGOED TO JULY 13
Contact:
Marcy Dockery
415/568-3563
mdockery@PositScience.com
DRIVESHARP PUTS MOTORISTS IN THE FAST LANE TO SAFETY
Brain Fitness Software, Recommended by AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Helps Drivers Make Quicker Decisions and React Faster on the Road
SAN FRANCISCO – July 13, 2009 –“Doing DriveSharp™ Road Tour™ and Jewel Diver™ exercises has made a difference in my driving. For example, the other day another car cut me off in the middle of the road, but I was able to react to it faster by hitting the brakes sooner,” said 49-year-old Maggie Sledge from San Antonio, TX. “I’ve always considered myself to be a safe driver, but it is comforting to know that I can respond to these incidences quicker since using the program.”
DriveSharp, a new addition to the Posit Science™ award-winning family of brain fitness software, was released today to the public. Targeted to consumers who want to take control of their safety when driving, DriveSharp is clinically proven to train the brain to think and react faster on the road. This helps drivers feel more confident, capable and alert behind the wheel. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the non-profit research affiliate of AAA, announced today that it is recommending DriveSharp to enhance driver safety and AAA Clubs across the nation are promoting the product (see separate release.)
“We think DriveSharp is a great product to help people improve their driving decisions, especially in hazardous conditions,” said Peter Kissinger, President and CEO of AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. “And DriveSharp has been scientifically validated to safely extend driving years.”
According to studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, using this technology cuts a person’s risk of an accident by 50 percent and speeds up how a driver processes what they see and how they react by 200 percent.
“Many brain functions including the visual behaviors that support good driving decline as we grow older, but that doesn’t mean the brain can’t be rejuvenated,” said world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Posit Science. “Using DriveSharp, visual skills supporting safer driving can be very significantly improved for almost all adult drivers. The AAAF’s review of this science has led them to endorse this training for adult drivers”
“Savvy boomers and mature adults want to exercise their brains going beyond traditional physical exercise options,” said Alvaro Fernandez, founding principal of market research firm SharpBrains. “The involvement of the AAA Foundation only reinforces the sharply rising importance of brain fitness software, especially for driving safety.”
DriveSharp consists of two interactive and challenging exercises that work together to change the brain’s ability to process what a user sees. This improvement helps a consumer focus better, keep track of more objects in their peripheral vision and react faster while driving. The DriveSharp software includes:
•Jewel Diver, where the user tracks hidden jewels moving around the screen. As the ability to follow the jewels improves, so does the ability to keep track of multiple moving objects in real life, like pedestrians and other cars.
•Road Tour, consumers take a trip along Route 66 with the task of identifying and locating road signs and different cars along the way. The placement and speed at which these images appear work to widen the field of vision and increase visual processing speed.
The clinical studies also found that users were able to improve their stopping distance by 22 feet at 55 miles per hour. In addition, they were able to expand their “useful field of view” – the area from which a person can see and understand what’s happening in a single glance. That means users can see and track multiple approaching objects sooner and react to them faster.
Pricing and Availability
DriveSharp retails for $139 and is available at http://www.PositScience.com. Participating AAA clubs are offering DriveSharp to members at the discounted price of $99 for a limited time only. Please contact your local club for details or visit http://www.drivesharpnow.com.
Posit Science
Posit Science is the leader of clinically proven brain fitness programs. The company works with over 50 scientists from prestigious universities to design and test its interactive computer-based programs. More than 30 articles in leading science and medical journals show that in randomized controlled trials the company’s patented technologies significantly increase visual processing speed, improve memory and attention and enhance quality of life. Posit Science has received grants from the National Institutes of Health and numerous awards and accolades. The company’s products, scientists and science are currently featured in the PBS documentary “The Brain Fitness Program.” For more information, visit http://www.PositScience.com or call 1-800-599-6463.
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Posit Science and DriveSharp are trademarks of Posit Science Corporation. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.