Dave Mandelkern; a biographical sketch

Dave Mandelkern has lived in the San Francisco Bay area for the past 18 years. A native of Washington, D.C., he grew up in Tallahassee, Florida where he was Valedictorian of Florida High School. He came to California in 1977 to attend Stanford University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with distinction, and also a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford.

While pursuing his doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Mandelkern was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and left Stanford to join one of Silicon Valley's pioneer microcomputer companies, Cromemco Inc. He held a number of engineering and marketing management positions at Cromemco and then left to become Director of Sales and Marketing at Transensory Devices, Inc. In 1985 he joined graphics software start-up V.I. Corporation as a Vice President and in 1991 went on to become president of Talarian Corporation, another start-up computer software company, before founding his own company, AlmondSeed Software Inc., in 1993. He is also a member of the board of directors of Advanced Visual Systems Inc.

In addition to his successful Silicon Valley business career, Mandelkern has been extensively involved in community, political and philanthropic activities as well. He has served on the supervisory committee of the Stanford Federal Credit Union, as a board member and treasurer of the Symphonix League of the San Francisco Symphony, and is currently National Chair for Leadership Gifts for the Stanford University School of Engineering. In 1989 he was honored with a Stanford Associates Outstanding Achievement Award for his efforts in creating a permanent campus memorial for alumni killed in the wars in Korea and Vietnam.

Mandelkern is currently a member of the national board of directors of the American Electronics Association and is chair of the Northern California council of the AEA and co-chair of the AEA California Public Policy Committee. As such he has been involved in lobbying legislators in Sacramento and Washington D.C. on issues ranging from international trade to education to fiscal policy.

Mandelkern was a national finalist for a White House Fellowship in 1990. He was also county chair of the successful Yes! on Proposition 140 campaign. In 1992 he created the Silicon Valley Software: Made in the USA marketing coalition to promote the reputation for quality of our local software industry in both domestic and international markets. Mandelkern has also been an active fundraiser in the 1988 and 1992 presidential campaigns and for the 1990 and 1992 California gubernatorial and U.S. senate races.

He is married to Terilyn S. Hanko, who is employed full-time by Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and is also pursuing a doctorate degree. Terilyn is also active in the community, including fundraising for Seton Hospital and as a member of Emily's List, the League of Women Voters and the National Women's Political Caucus.

Dave and Terilyn enjoy cross country skiing in California's great outdoors.

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