3/5/02

Dina Kanellos, 334/844-2203 l)

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY CHIEF TO VISIT AU COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

AUBURN -- John M. Fahey Jr., president and CEO of the National Geographic Society, will be the Lowder Visiting Executive in the Auburn University College of Business on March 19.

During his visit to Auburn, Fahey will speak to several undergraduate business classes and participate in a roundtable discussion with the College's Executive Society. Members of the Auburn community are invited to a public lecture at 9:30 a.m. in the Lowder Business Building, Room 113-A.

The National Geographic Society, founded in 1888, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world, reaching nearly 200 million people monthly through its varied media. In addition, the Society has funded more than 7,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program to improve geographic illiteracy.

Fahey joined the Society in 1996 and was named president and CEO in 1997. Under his leadership, the National Geographic Society has explored new sources of revenue including a cable television channel, an adventure magazine, an online store and a credit card. The Society has added 2 million members through foreign-language editions of its National Geographic magazine, created EarthPulse, a major conservation initiative and relaunched National Geographic Expeditions.

Fahey began his professional career at Time, Inc. in 1976. Starting as a financial analyst, Fahey rose, successively, to Strategic Planning Director for Home Box Office, Inc., assistant treasurer/planning director for Time, Inc., and chief financial officer for Time-Life Books. In 1989, he was named chairman, president and CEO of Time Life, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Time-Warner, Inc.

A native of New York City, Fahey received his bachelor's degree in engineering from Manhattan College and his master's in business administration from the University of Michigan. He now lives in McLean, Va.

The Robert and Charlotte Lowder Visiting Executive-in-Residence program provides students and faculty with an opportunity to interact with prominent executives for an open exchange of views on current issues and to gain insight into the business world.

The program is made possible through an endowment by Robert and Charlotte Lowder of Montgomery. Lowder, a 1964 graduate of the AU College of Business and a member of the AU Board of Trustees, is CEO of Colonial BancGroup.

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CONTACT: Dianne Townsend, 334/844-2342.