Press Release: June 20, 2007

Dawn Ackerman joins CandidateFive as COO.

CandidateFive, the nation’s largest provider of GLBT recruiting products and services to Fortune 500 companies, has announced the addition of 2006 PlanetOut Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, Dawn Ackerman to their executive staff.

The announcement reflects the rapid growth of the company, as well as the commitment by CandidateFive CEO & Founder Patrick Diamond to bolster existing key markets and implement new product offerings, while steadily adding new markets, and giving special attention to those that are lagging.

“Our first year was tremendous in many respects. We learned a great deal about the GLBT job-seeker, the needs of today’s Fortune 500, and each individual market. Now it’s time to take that knowledge and apply it to our current and future product offerings, and allow it to permeate our strategy over the next twelve months. We’re in uncharted territory in many aspects, so there’s been a lot of touch and go.”

When asked about the decision to bring Ackerman into the picture, Diamond said “It brings me immense pleasure to welcome Dawn into our executive staff. For any company to flourish, it must be headed by bold, dynamic leaders who can take ownership of the vision of the company, and execute each step needed to reach that vision with passion. Dawn is that kind of person.”

Recently named by Curve Magazine one of the nation’s “10 most powerful lesbian entrepreneurs”, Dawn brings a tremendous amount of experience and business savvy to the CandidateFive team. As the founder of one of the first businesses to be officially certified as a LGBT Business Enterprise, she remains a leader of the NGLCC's certification initiative. She currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (LAGLCC) and also serves as its representative to the Council on Chambers and Business Organizations (CCBO) and the Women's Business Initiative (WBI) of the NGLCC.