Germantown, MD – August 9, 2011– Earth Networks^SM, the owner of the WeatherBug® brand and operator of the largest weather observing and lightning network, announces the hiring of Joel Reiser as vice president of finance. In this position, Reiser will oversee accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, treasury and tax functions across the company.

Reiser joined Earth Networks in July 2011, bringing more than 20 years of experience in finance with recognized technology and consulting firms. Prior to joining Earth Networks, he served as chief financial officer (CFO) at Smarthinking, a respected provider of online tutoring services to colleges and universities. In this capacity, he managed the sale of Smarthinking to TutorVista/Pearson Education in February 2011. Reiser’s previous roles include finance and accounting positions at companies such as APCO Worldwide, Softek Storage Solutions Corporation and Landmark Systems Corporation. He began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he spent eight years in the firm’s auditing practice.

Reiser received an MBA from Duke University and a bachelor of science in business administration from Georgetown University. In addition, he is a certified public accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). In 2011, Reiser was honored by the Northern Virginia Tech Council (NVTC) as the Emerging Growth CFO of the Year for his professional accomplishments.

“Joel Reiser is an accomplished finance professional and we are extremely pleased to welcome him to the Earth Networks leadership team,” says Earth Networks Chief Financial Officer Rich Spaulding. “Joel brings extensive experience in financial management roles with innovative technology firms, making him a strong addition to our company as we continue to build our networks beyond weather and lightning to include what will become the largest greenhouse gas monitoring network.”

“I am very excited to join Earth Networks and contribute my knowledge and management skills to this innovative and established company,” says Reiser. “Earth Networks is known for its WeatherBug consumer brand and is recognized for its enterprise solutions to a variety of industries. I am pleased to be part of the management team and heading financial operations as Earth Networks rapidly expands its solutions and networks.”

About Earth Networks^SM
As the provider of advanced weather data for nearly 20 years, Earth Networks (formerly AWS) operates the world’s largest weather observation and lightning detection networks and is building what will become the largest greenhouse gas monitoring network. Observations from Earth Networks inform and alert consumers, enterprises and governments around the world, providing them with advanced environmental intelligence for decision making and safety. The company’s popular WeatherBug website, desktop application and mobile apps provide millions of consumers with real-time, local weather information and dangerous severe weather alerts. Enterprise solutions from Earth Networks enable organizations, including energy and utilities, agriculture, schools, sports and recreation, emergency operations and government entities, to safeguard lives, prepare for weather and climate events and improve business operations. Earth Networks (www.earthnetworks.com) is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area with offices in Mountain View, Calif.; New York, NY; Milan, Italy and a local presence in 50 countries worldwide.