Washington, D.C., Jan. 19, 2004 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – The U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission announced today that Patrick Von Bargen, Managing Executive for
Policy and Staff, will leave the Commission at the end of February to become
CEO of the Center for Venture Education. The Center is best known for its
prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program, which educates emerging leaders in
venture capital around the world.

Chairman William H. Donaldson said, “Patrick has played a critical role as a
trusted member of our senior management team and has helped to manage one of
the most prolific rule-making and enforcement periods in the history of the
Commission. His contribution to the SEC, and to my office, has been
substantial and he will be missed.”

Von Bargen, who joined the Commission staff in April of 2003, assists the
Chairman in directing the Commission’s policy-making and enforcement
activities.

In his new role as CEO of the Center for Venture Education, Von Bargen will
help engineer a national and international expansion of a program that is
designed to educate, develop and network emerging leaders in venture capital
and high-growth start-ups. Founded in 1994, the Kauffman Fellows Program
spun out from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and created the Center
for Venture Education, a non-profit, post-graduate educational institute.

Prior to joining the SEC, Von Bargen served as Founder and Executive
Director of the National Commission on Entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C.,
funded by the Kauffman Foundation. He also served for many years as
chief-of-staff for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico. Early in his
career he worked in venture capital with Sequoia Capital and spent five
years providing legal advice to VC firms and CEOs of startup companies. Von
Bargen holds a master’s degree in public and private management from Yale
School of Management. He received both JD and bachelor’s degrees from
Stanford University.