Investment Team Biographies

William J. Dezellem, CFA

William (Bill) J. Dezellem, CFA is Chief Investment Officer, President, and Co-Founder of Tieton Capital Management. Bill was the founding Portfolio Manager of the Davidson Investment Advisors’ Small/Mid Cap Value Strategy where he was the lead Portfolio Manager from the strategy’s inception in January 1998 through May 2005. With strong investment performance, assets grew from zero to $125 million. From April 2000 until June 2004, Bill was also the firm’s Chief Investment Officer, overseeing all the investment professionals that managed nearly $1 billion of client assets.

Prior to joining Davidson Investment Advisors, Bill was Vice President of Research and Senior Research Analyst at ICM Asset Management in Spokane, Washington. During his tenure from 1990 to 1997, he participated in growing the firm from approximately $100 million in assets under management to $2 billion under management with strong investment performance.

In both 1999 and 2000 he was nominated for the Top Small to Mid Size Company Analyst Award in Reuters Investment Research Survey. He is Past President of the Spokane Chapter of Financial Analysts and the Spokane Stock & Bond Club. Bill has held the Chartered Financial Analyst designation since 1993. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Central Washington University with double majors in Business Economics and Business Administration with a Finance emphasis.

Matthew W. Dhane, CFA 

Matthew W. Dhane, CFA is Senior Research Analyst, Principal, and Co-founder of Tieton Capital Management. From June 2002 through July 2005 he was the Small/Mid Cap Value Strategy Research Analyst at Davidson Investment Advisors in Great Falls, Montana.

Matt visits with companies, analyzes the data gathered, and incorporates findings from corporate Securities and Exchange Commission filings, to reach decisions on specific companies’ investment merits. Matt holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He received a double major from Seattle University in Business Administration - Finance and Business Administration - Business Economics.