Desert Sky Holdings investment professionals have decades of experience in financing and growing small to middle market companies.

• Robert C. Jacobson, Managing Partner
• Robert's professional experience includes real estate marketing & brokerage, music production, business development, and publishing. He is former Vice President of American International Realty where he oversaw several commercial office properties. Robert has also served as Chief Investment Strategist for American Trade Group where he identified unique market opportunities for international trade. Robert currently works closely with DSH portfolio companies in the areas of business innovation and development. He attended the University of Southern California where he studied Music and Business. Robert also holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts. A born promoter,improviser, team builder, and dealmaker, he is passionate about the opportunities that await DSH.

• Eddie M. Van Pelt, Managing Partner
• A co-founder of DSH, Eddie’s professional experience includes government finance, corporate finance, real estate management, business development and publishing.  Before creating Desert Sky Holdings, Eddie was Vice President of JRK Asset Management in Los Angeles where he managed over $200 million in real estate assets.  Eddie studied Business Management at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio and earned his MBA from Case Western Reserve University.  With great attention to detail and a talent for cultivating and managing professional relationships, he works systematically to have the initiatives he undertakes succeed creatively, financially and interpersonally.

Advisory Board:

Mel S. Jacobson
Mr. Jacobson is founder and CEO of American International Realty, a commercial real estate firm with over 150,000 square feet under management. Mel received his undergraduate degree in business from the University of Tennessee. He is the former owner of Crown Insurance, a multi-product insurance company in Tampa, FL. Mr. Jacobson has also invested and managed several start-ups with a targeted interest in Southern California, Boston, British Columbia, and Morocco. More recently he is managing a large international trade organization in North Africa. Mel is an avid modern art collector and science fiction enthusiast.

Errol J. Menke
Mr. Menke is a former director of Laporte plc. Laporte was the second largest public specialty chemicals company in Great Britain until 2002 when it was taken over by Degussa of Germany. While at Laporte, he held several operational and corporate management positions, including oversight of the company's relationships with several major international companies. His tenure culminated in a position on the Board of Directors, where he managed three divisions of Laporte that generated sales in excess of $1 billion. Mr. Menke has been in the investment business for the past 30 years, involved in both equity activities and as a financial advisor. He specializes in structuring private equity acquisitions and executive management. Prior to joining Laporte, he was with the Boston-based investment banking firm of Robert A. Weaver Jr. and Associates for over 10 years. His final five years as a partner involved with multiple clients from all over the world. Robert A. Weaver Jr. and Associates had offices in 4 cities around the world and specialized in multinational acquisitions.

Mr. Menke was the Chairman and CEO of New South Chemical, a holding company that owned Vinings Industries until it was sold in 2002. He has been involved in over 1000 transactions worldwide. He also serves on the Operating Board for MSP (Magnox Specialty Products, LLC) and PPT, (Powder Processing and Technologies) Both of these operations are current holdings of EJ-Vestco Industries. He holds a BS in Marketing and an MBA in Finance from Babson College.