In accordance with our Bylaws, our Board of Directors shall consist of such number of directors, not less than six nor more than twelve, as may be determined from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors. With the exception of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, directors are non-employee Directors, and the Board of Directors has determined that each of these Directors has no relationship which, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a Director, and that each meets the objective requirements for "independence" under the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules. Therefore, with the exception of the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, the Board of Directors has determined that each of these Directors is an “independent” Director under the standards currently set forth in the NASDAQ Marketplace Rules.

To view Section 16 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, please click here.

Biographies of Directors

Alan Rosskamm
Non-Executive Chairman
Director Since 1992

Mr. Rosskamm, 58, was the Chief Executive Officer of Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. (“Jo-Ann”), from October 1985 to August 2006, and Chairman of the Board of Directors from July 1992 to August 2006. Under his leadership, Jo-Ann became the nation’s leading retailer of fabrics and sewing supplies and one the nation’s largest retailers of craft and floral products, operating 800 stores in 47 states. He continues as a member of Jo-Ann's Board of Directors, where he has served since 1985. Since 2006, Mr. Rosskamm has advised a number of start-up ventures, including retailer PetSense, Inc.

Michael C. Appel
Director Since 2008

Mr. Appel, 58, was an interim Chief Executive Officer for Caswell-Massey Co. Ltd, Ciro, Inc., Laura Ashley, N.A. and MacKenzie-Childs. Mr. Appel served as financial advisor to the Creditors Committee in the bankruptcy proceeding of Kasper ASL, a leading manufacturer of women’s apparel under the Kasper and Ann Klein brands that filed for Chapter 11 in February 2002. Mr. Appel assisted in developing and implementing a successful turnaround plan for Kasper ASL and was awarded the 2004 Turnaround of the Year Award by the Turnaround Management Association for his work with Kasper ASL. Mr. Appel served as Chief Restructuring Officer of HCI Direct, the leading U.S. direct marketer of women’s hosiery. He later served as interim Chief Executive Officer at HCI Direct, launched a successful new product line and recruited a new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Appel began his career in 1973 at Bloomingdale’s where he spent ten years in merchandising. Mr. Appel currently serves as Managing Director of Quest Turnaround Advisors, a firm that provides turnaround and crisis management services to Boards of Directors, management, creditors and shareholders.

Arnaud Ajdler
Director Since 2008

Mr. Ajdler, 32, serves as a Director and on the Compensation and Human Resources Committee of O’Charley’s Inc., a multi-concept restaurant company that operates or franchises a total of 364 restaurants under three brands. He also serves as a Director and on the Compensation Committee of Mothers Work, Inc., a designer and retailer of maternity apparel. Since its inception in June 2006, Mr. Ajdler has served as a member of the Board of Directors and the Secretary of Rhapsody Acquisition Corp., an OTC Bulletin Board-listed blank check company formed to effect a business combination with an operating business. From June 2004 until June 2006 Mr. Ajdler also served as the Chief Financial Officer, a Director and the Secretary of Arpeggio Acquisition Corporation. Arpeggio completed its business combination with Hill International, Inc. in June 2006 and since such time Mr. Ajdler has served as a Director of the surviving company, a NYSE listed company. From August 2006 until the company was acquired in October 2007, Mr. Ajdler served as a Director of The Topps Company, Inc., a NASDAQ listed company. He has been a Managing Director of Crescendo Partners since December 2005.

Richard W. Bennet, III
Director Since 2008

Mr. Bennet, 55, is the former Vice Chairman of The May Department Stores Company. Previous to his appointment as Vice Chairman in 2000, Mr. Bennet served in various executive management positions including President and Chief Executive Officer of Kaufmanns and Famous Barr. Prior to these executive leadership positions, Mr. Bennet held a number of senior merchandising positions, including General Merchandise Manager responsibilities at Filene's, Famous Barr and May D & F. He began his retail career as an assistant buyer with Famous Barr Department Stores in St. Louis. Mr. Bennet has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Direct Holdings Worldwide, an international direct marketing business with a variety of holdings including Time Life Entertainment. Currently, Mr. Bennet is Co-Chief Executive Officer of CCA Global Partners, a cooperative of independent retail stores providing buying service and infrastructure to 3,600 locations with revenues of over $10 billion. Mr. Bennet also serves on the Board of Directors of drugstore.com, inc., a leading online drugstore and information site for health, beauty, personal care, and pharmacy products.

Yvonne M. Curl
Director Since 2004

Ms. Curl, 53, was the Chief Marketing Officer of Avaya, Inc. (“Avaya”) from October 2000 through April 2004. In that capacity, she was responsible for the strategic and operational management of Avaya’s global marketing organization. Avaya provides voice, converged voice and data customer relationship management, messaging, multi-service networking and structured cabling products and services to its customers. Before joining Avaya, Ms. Curl was employed by Xerox Corporation beginning in 1976, where she held positions in sales, marketing and field operations culminating with her appointment as Corporate Vice President, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Public Sector, Worldwide in January 1999. In that capacity, she was responsible for developing strategic and tactical market plans for the provision of document solutions and services to the public sector worldwide. Ms. Curl is also a Director of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, HealthSouth Corporation and Welch Allyn Inc.

James P. Fogarty
Director Since 2009

On April 2, 2009, Charming Shoppes, Inc. appointed James P. Fogarty as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of the Company. Mr. Fogarty was not immediately appointed to any committee of the Board of Directors, but is expected to be appointed to various committees in the future.

Mr. Fogarty, 40, most recently was a Managing Director with Alvarez & Marsal ("A&M"), a premier independent global professional services firm providing leadership, problem-solving, and value-creation services across the industry spectrum. He had also been a member of the A&M’s Executive Committee for North America Restructuring. In his almost 15 years with A&M, he provided performance improvement, crisis management, and restructuring advisory services to numerous companies in various sectors.

During his tenure at A&M, Mr. Fogarty most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Lehman Brothers Holdings from September 2008 to the present time. From September 2005 through February 2008, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of American Italian Pasta Company, the largest producer of dry pasta in North America. He served as the Chief Financial Officer at Levi Strauss & Co. from 2003 to 2005. From December 2001 through September 2003, he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Warnaco Group, a then $1.5 billion global apparel maker, which emerged from bankruptcy in early 2003 after completing a successful turnaround during his tenure.

Michael Goldstein
Director Since 2008

Mr. Goldstein, CPA, 66, served as Chairman of the Toys "R" Us Children’s Fund from June 2001 until May 2006. Mr. Goldstein was Chairman of Toys “R” Us, Inc. from February 1998 to June 2001, Chief Executive Officer from August 1999 to January 2000 and Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from February 1994 to February 1998. Mr. Goldstein is also lead Director at Medco Health Solutions, Inc. and Director of 4Kids Entertainment, Inc., The Bear Stearns Companies, Inc., Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. and Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. Mr. Goldstein served as a director of United Retail Group, Inc. prior to the company being sold in 2007. He is also a Director of various private companies and non-profit entities.

Katherine M. Hudson
Director Since 2000

Ms. Hudson, 61, served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Brady Corporation until November 2003 when she retired. Prior to her appointment as Chairman, she was the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Brady Corporation from January 1994 until March 2003. Brady Corporation is a leading manufacturer and marketer of complete identification solutions which improve productivity, performance, safety and security. Its products include high-performance labels, signs, software, printers, specialty die-cut materials and data-collection systems. Before joining Brady Corporation, she was a Vice President at Eastman Kodak Company and General Manager of its Professional, Printing and Publishing Imaging Division. Her 24 years at Eastman Kodak Company included positions in finance, communications and public affairs, information systems and the management of instant photography and printing. Ms. Hudson formerly served as Director of Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. She currently serves on the Alverno College Board of Trustees and as Immediate Past Chairman of the Medical College of Wisconsin Board of Trustees.

M. Jeannine Strandjord
Director Since 2006

Ms. Strandjord, 62, was Senior Vice President and Chief Integration Officer of Sprint Corporation (“Sprint”), a global communications company, from September 2003 until her retirement in November 2005 with responsibility for implementation of Sprint’s transformation, including overall program management of comprehensive process redesign and organizational development. From January 2003 to September 2003, Ms. Strandjord was Senior Vice President of Financial Services for Sprint. From 1998 to 2003, Ms. Strandjord was Senior Vice President of Finance for Sprint Global Markets Group. From 1990 to 1998, Ms. Strandjord was Senior Vice President and Treasurer for Sprint. From 1986 to 1990, she served as Vice President and Controller for Sprint. Ms. Strandjord joined Sprint in January 1985, serving as Vice President, Finance and Distribution at AmeriSource, Inc., a Sprint subsidiary. Prior to joining Sprint, Ms. Strandjord was Vice President, Finance and Expense Control, for Macy’s Midwest and had held positions with Kansas City Power & Light Co. and Ernst and Whinney. She is also a member of the Board of six registered investment companies which are a part of American Century Funds and a member of the Boards of DST Systems, Inc. and Euronet Worldwide, Inc. Ms. Strandjord has served as Chairman and President of the Heartland Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors for the last two years.