VIRGINIA K. SHEFFIELD is the former Vice President of the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce. She has more than 25 years public and private sector experience as a business executive, consultant, research economist, policy analyst and negotiator. In 2002, she founded Sheffield Advisors, LLC, a consulting firm focused on market entry in post-conflict markets. While experienced in a number of markets, she is currently focusing on Afghanistan. Her accomplishments include successfully negotiating a new telecommunications license for Telephone Systems International, the parent of Afghan Wireless, with the government of Afghanistan, securing financing and political risk insurance for two multimillion dollar housing projects in Kabul, negotiating leases for government and private property and securing business licenses and registrations. In July 2005 with Robert E. Naser she founded IBS Afghanistan, an international business services company market entry services and instant office solutions in Kabul, where she lived for two years. Prior to founding Sheffield Advisors, Ms. Sheffield was vice-president for Genuity, a tier-one internet backbone and e-commerce provider. She worked for GTE from 1986 to 2000 when it was the largest U.S. independent telecommunications carrier. While, Ms. Sheffield worked for the Iowa Legislature and Commerce Commission she received a National Science Foundation grant for her research. She has served on several non-profit boards and is an endowed-life member of the James Smithson Society. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Iowa State University.