NIRI Releases Standards of Practice for Investor Relations Volume II - Implementing Notice and Access

VIENNA, Va.--(Business Wire)--
The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) today announced the release of
Standards of Practice for Investor Relations, Volume II - Implementing Notice
and Access. NIRI`s Working Group on Notice and Access and the NIRI Board of
Directors recommend that public companies review the considerations and
recommendations contained in these Standards regarding the adoption of the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission`s regulation, "Shareholder Choice Regarding
Proxy Materials," commonly referred to as "Notice and Access" or "e-proxy."

"Our goal in developing these Standards was to provide corporate issuers with a
guideline to determine whether or not to adopt Notice and Access, and if
adopted, how to best implement it in the most cost effective manner to meet the
needs of shareholders while encouraging proxy voting," said Jeff Morgan,
President and Chief Executive Officer of NIRI. "Professional standards are just
one of the many benefits NIRI members receive through NIRI`s key areas of
information, education, networking, and advocacy."

David Prichard, Chair of the NIRI Working Group on Implementing Notice and
Access, and Investor Relations Specialist, StreetSmart Strategies, Inc. said,
"This is an excellent example of NIRI`s thought leadership in the investor
relations profession. As the largest investor relations professional association
in the world, NIRI is uniquely capable of leveraging the talents of a working
group of experts in related fields to set standards for the profession."

A key role of NIRI is providing standards of practice for the investor relations
profession. NIRI began this process in 1996 with the publication of the
"Standards and Guidance for Disclosure," and continued to evolve and publish
updated Standards editions. Thousands of investor relations and other corporate
executives use this reference for guidance on disclosure, and interaction with
analysts and investors. It is also a popular reference for securities lawyers.

Building on this body of work, the NIRI Board of Directors recently standardized
the development and approval process for future edits such that the Standards of
Practice will be developed as a series of documents, each covering a different
aspect of investor relations practice. NIRI released Standards of Practice for
Investor Relations Volume I - Earnings Release Content in December, 2008.
Today`s release represents the second in this series, and NIRI is currently
drafting Volume III - Financial Disclosure for future release.

A complete listing of the NIRI Working Group on Implementing Notice and Access
is available on the NIRI website.

NIRI members may access the Standards of Practice for Investor Relations series
through the Standards of Practice page of the NIRI website.

About the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)

Founded in 1969, NIRI (www.NIRI.org) is the professional association of
corporate officers and investor relations consultants responsible for
communication among corporate management, shareholders, securities analysts and
other financial community constituents. NIRI is the largest professional
investor relations association in the world with more than 4,000 members
representing 2,000 publicly held companies and $5.4 trillion in stock market
capitalization.

National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)
Matt Brusch, 703-506-3574

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