Board of Managers
WILFRED R. KONNEKER, Ph.D.
Dr. Konneker is the Chairman of the Board of Managers of Athenian’s Fund I and also serves on the Board of Managers of Athenian’s Fund II and AVP Ohio. Dr. Konneker has been a venture capital investor in technology for over thirty years. Over the course of his career Dr. Konneker has founded or co-founded numerous companies including DNX, Inc. and Diagnostic-Hybrids, Inc., both successful emerging companies that have exploited technologies developed at Ohio University, and other start-up companies, including Infant Care, Telray, Inc., Lion’s Choice, Spaulding Racquetball Clubs, Inc., and Konneker Development Corp. In 1950, Dr. Konneker founded Nuclear Consultants, Inc., which became the first and the major commercial supplier of radiopharmaceuticals. In 1966, he merged this company with Mallinckrodt, Inc., where he served as a vice president until 1972. Prior to attaining his Ph.D., he served three years in the U.S. Army, assigned to the Manhattan Project. Dr. Konneker holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Ohio University. He received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Washington University. Dr. Konneker has been active at both of his universities, having served as a trustee of Ohio University and presently as a trustee of Washington University in St. Louis. He has been active and served as president or chairman of alumni boards at both universities, as well as the Ohio University Foundation Board, director of the Ohio University Innovation Center and Research Park, and chair of the Technology Transfer Committee for Washington University.
JERRY P. PEPPERS, Esq.
Mr. Peppers is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop LLP, a global law firm, where he specializes in mergers and acquisitions. Along with mergers, acquisitions and tender offers, both negotiated and contested, Mr. Peppers has dealt with leveraged buy-outs, proxy contests and takeover defense work for international and domestic clients. He has also worked with securities transactions including underwritten public offerings and private placements and with general business consisting of a broad variety of corporate transactions for international and domestic companies. Mr. Peppers is a member of several boards of directors of business and charitable organizations, including the Ohio University Foundation. Mr. Peppers graduated from Ohio University in 1968 and from Duke University Law School in 1971.
JACK ELLIS