BIOFLORIDA ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP AND EXPANDS ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Susan Washer, President and CEO of Applied Genetic Technologies Corp., appointed chair of the BioFlorida Board of Directors
WEST PALM BEACH,
FL (June 24, 2010) – BioFlorida, the statewide trade association founded in 1997 to advance
Florida’s bioscience industry, has announced its Board of Directors for 2010 – 2011. Susan Washer, president and CEO of Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. (AGTC) based in
Alachua,
Fla. is the incoming board chair. She has been a member of BioFlorida’s board for six years, and has served on the Executive Committee for the past two years.
“My vision for BioFlorida is to continue to advance our position as the voice of the industry and further enhance our ability to be of service to the more than 230 members across the state,” said Washer. “We have developed an excellent relationship with governmental representatives over the past several years. Communication with local, state and federal leaders is critical to our mission in order to provide information that will spark a dialogue and help them make informed decisions to shape a thriving biosciences industry that will enhance our state’s economic future.”
BioFlorida represents member companies and research organizations in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device fields. Membership also includes government, academic and product & service providers throughout the six regional chapters of the organization.
“Given our state’s geography, it is difficult for all members to meet together with any frequency. Therefore another priority for my term will be to continue to enhance the structure of our local chapters ensuring that we maximize opportunities for networking, education, workforce training and other initiatives that are relevant to each particular region,” Washer added.
Washer is an experienced entrepreneur with a strong scientific and operational background. She has 10 years of pharmaceutical management and research experience from Abbott Labs and Eli Lilly, and 16 years of senior management experience with entrepreneurial firms in
Florida, including three start-ups. At AGTC, Washer has successfully secured investments of over $45 million from nationally recognized venture capital sources; negotiated and closed on a major collaboration with a top-five biotech company; led AGTC to complete critical milestones; and recruited an experienced management team.
Washer has a degree in biochemistry from
Michigan
State
University and an MBA from the University of Florida (UF) where she was one of the first graduates from the
Business
School’s Entrepreneurship program. She is a member of the Executive Committee for UF’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Southeast BIO; and a Board Member for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.
Washer replaces Tom McClain, CEO of Claro Scientific in
St. Petersburg who served as BioFlorida’s board chair for approximately six years. He will continue to serve on the Executive Committee, which includes the board officers and special committee chairs. He also serves as the chairman of BioFlorida’s 2011 Annual Conference in
Tampa.
“As a committed advocate for advancing biosciences in
Florida, Tom has strengthened our organization and positioned BioFlorida as the authoritative resource for our industry,” said Russell Allen, President and CEO of BioFlorida. “He remains a steadfast leader for our organization and I cannot thank him enough for his guidance and mentorship during my first four years as president of BioFlorida. I look forward to working with our newly elected leadership to continue this positive momentum.”
BioFlorida expanded its Board of Directors for the 2010-2011 term by four additional members, bringing the total to 41 representatives from leading scientific and professional services organizations around the state. See the full list
here.
Additional board officer appointments are Vice Chair Stephanie Warrington, Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Development for Xhale in Gainesville; Treasurer Thomas W. Stevens, Jr., Assurance and Advisory Business Services for Ernst & Young, LLP in West Palm Beach;
Secretary Gregory A. Nelson, Partner of Novak, Druce + Quigg in West Palm Beach; and Chief Executive Officer Russell Allen. These officers also serve on the executive committee along with board-elected chairs of committees for capital formation, membership, education, government affairs and the annual conference.
BioFlorida recently launched The BioFlorida Institute, a not-for-profit foundation focused on education, professional development and industry resources. The Institute’s top priorities include supporting entrepreneurs and scientists who want to bring their concept to the marketplace; fostering better math and science education programs in
Florida; providing industry-specific workforce training to help create high paying biotechnology jobs within the state; and researching trends and developments in
Florida’s bioscience industry to benchmark its progress. Find information on Institute fundraising and leadership opportunities
here.
BioFlorida's
13th Annual Conference will be held October 24-26 at the Harbor Beach Marriott in
Fort Lauderdale. This year, the focus will be biomedical research, biosciences business and professional development.
About BioFlorida
BioFlorida is the voice of
Florida’s bioscience industry association, and represents more than 200 member companies and research organizations in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device fields. Operating as a not-for-profit organization, BioFlorida works to facilitate and advance innovations in the healthcare, agriculture and energy sectors for its membership base. BioFlorida members are involved in biomedical research and development, medical device manufacturing, clinics and hospitals, academia, government and non-profit organizations, and industry services/products. BioFlorida’s leadership and programs positively influence the growth of the industry through networking and initiatives related to capital formation, advocacy, workforce development, education and commercialization of research. This year, the BioFlorida Institute was established to provide support for K-12 science education, workforce development programs as well as professional development. For more information, visit www.bioflorida.com.
