Who's Who at True Blue productions
ERIC NIELSEN
Eric Nielsen was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He earned his Bachelor's Degree from the Everg reen State College and graduated Cum Laude from Seattle University Law School. After graduating from law school, Eric clerked for a King County Superior Court Judge and then joined a large Seattle public defender firm as a trial attorney. In 1985 Eric joined the Washington Appellate Defender Association, a public defender appellate firm. He eventually became the firm's Assistant Director and supervised its training program. Beginning in 1990, Eric has been a tribal attorney for the Quinualt Indian Nation and has represented the Nation on appeal in tribal, state and federal courts on a wide range of civil law issues.
In 1994, Eric founded Nielsen, Broman & Koch P.L.L.C. Nielsen has litigated over 700 civil and criminal appeals, which have resulted in over 100 published Court of Appeals, Washington State Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit decisions. Eric has argued over 30 cases in the Washington Supreme Court, including two death penalty cases.
Eric is member of the Washington Appellate Lawyers Association and has spoken at a number of CLE's on appellate practice and Indian law issues.
RYAN SMITH 
Ryan Smith began playing piano at the age of five. Raised in a musical family, Ryan Smith's destiny as a musician and composer was sealed. However, there were detours along the way; college and successful business ventures.
In 1997, Smith founded International Student Tours, a student travel company and it quickly became one of the leading student travel companies in the Northwest. For his efforts, Smith received the University of Washington's Entrepreneur of the Year Award; was the Ernst and Young's Entrepreneur of the Year finalist; and awarded Seattle's prestigious Mayor's Small Business Award. In October 1999, Smith founded TripHub.com, and online travel company, assembled a high-profile board of directors and raised venture capital.
Ryan then met Michael LePaul Williams III and he immediately recognized Williams was one of the most talented guitarist he had ever heard. Meeting Williams became a turning point in Smith's life. He left the corporate world to pursue his dream: a career in music.
Inspired by one of his heroes, Quincy Jones, Smith helped establish TrueBlueProductions.com in December 1999. True Blue Productions is a Seattle based music production house. Its mission is to re-vitalize Seattle's rich music scene and make global change through music. Together with Michael Williams, Smith and True Blue Productions formed and developed The Michael Williams Band. Smith also plays keyboards for the band when it tours in the Northwest.
Despite his work as a performer, composer and producer, Smith has kept his hand in the Seattle business community. He served on Seattle Mayor Paul Schell's Small Business Task Force and an active board member of Market Matrix, Inc.
Smith graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Business Administration and Certificates in Entrepreneurship, International Business, and studied Jazz Piano with Professor Marc Seales.
PAUL NIELSEN
Paul Nielsen was born in Seattle but early on moved to Portland, Oregon where his interest and work in blues music thrived.
In a chance, one on one meeting with Albert King in the mid seventies, Mr. King shared with him his love and passion for the music that has influenced so much of our musical history. That generosity from such a legend and idol set the course for his support and promotion of the blues.
In 1986 he co-founded the Cascade Blues Association, now one of the most viable Blues organizations in the country with over 1,100 members worldwide. Nielsen also helped lay the ground work for what has become the largest annual blues festival on the west coast, the Waterfront Blues Festival.
As a professional photographer Paul had the pleasure of photographing such greats as Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, Luther Johnson, Curtis Salgado, Eric Burdon, Santana, Jeff Beck and countless others. Nielsen currently produces publicity materials for a select group of performers, which includes the Michael Williams Band.
Paul is also guitar player, most recently with the Mayfield Road Band, and has played venues throughout the Northwest. Nielsen cites musical influences like Freddie King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and some of the early blues rockers in the 1960's.
Nielsen earned his Bachelor's Degree from the The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and besides managing performers, Paul produces benefit concerts for the homeless and other social causes.
LANCE RAMESH
Lance Ramesh now serves True Blue Productions in a consultant capacity, providing insight on the financial and operational implications of strategic decisions. Prior to joining True Blue, Ramesh was the Chief Financial Officer of Market Matrix, Inc.- a privately-held software company based in Seattle, WA. Before moving to Seattle, Ramesh worked with Compass Bank (NASDAQ: CBSS), an $21 billion commercial banking institution, as the Commercial Underwriting Supervisor for Texas. With Compass, Ramesh reviewed an aggregate of over $1 billion in commercial loan requests in fiscal 1999. He was responsible for the risk assessment and the financial analysis of every Texas-based commercial loan greater than $1 million. Prior to his work for Compass Bank, Ramesh received his financial analysis training from Bank United - Texas, F.S.B. (NASDAQ: WAMU), a $23 billion financial institution recently purchased by Washington Mutual.
Ramesh graduated Cum Laude from The University of North Texas, where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Ramesh currently resides in Houston, TX and is the Assistant Vice President of Corporate Syndications for Commercebank, N.A. - where he has generated in excess of $100 million in commitments since joining in March 2002. |
