Steve Atha

Steve Atha is a retired attorney who spent most of his 40+ year career in various business operating roles and industries. He has a background in government contracting with federal agencies, including General Services Admin., US Forest Service and DOD (Defense Logistics Agency), railroad services, printing and packaging, bulk materials handling, river barge terminal operations, private equity, acquisitions and divestitures. He started a business providing logistical services to purchasers of ores and minerals from the Defense Strategic Materials Stockpile program.

For five years he served as general counsel to a river barge terminal company with operations on the Mississippi River in Louisiana. In that role he negotiated contracts and led business development activities with customers in paper milling, power generation, construction aggregates and scrap metals.

For the last ten years he has worked as an independent buy-side “finder” (intermediary) working under consulting contracts with a few private equity funds and some closely held family corporations looking to expand through acquisitions. He works to find potential sellers of businesses that match up well with his client’s investment criteria.

Steve is a graduate of Washburn University and Washburn University School of Law. In 2004 he was admitted to the US Supreme Court. He resides in Topeka, Kansas with his wife of 48 years. He has three grown children and four grandchildren. He likes to spend his time in research, travel, a variety of church activities and he is an avid golfer, working through his bucket list of courses around the country.