C. Russell Allen President & CEO BioFlorida, Inc.

Russell Allen is President & CEO of BioFlorida, the statewide trade association founded in 1997 to advance Florida’s bioscience industry. Allen directs programs and advocacy initiatives that contribute to the positioning of Florida as one of the leading locations for bioscience research and development in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors. Major responsibilities include strategic development and issue management related to capital formation, public policy, workforce development, education and commercialization. For the last two years, Allen developed a comprehensive government affairs agenda with the organization’s legislative counsel. More recently, Allen has begun the process of establishing a 501(c)(3) foundation to build on the state’s existing infrastructure and services to the bioscience industry. BioFlorida also serves as the state affiliate of the international Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and represents more than 200 member organizations such as drug-delivery and diagnostic companies, clinics and hospitals, academic institutions, service providers, economic development organizations and financial services groups. Since joining the organization in 2006, Allen has grown BioFlorida’s membership base by more than 30 percent and has created regional chapters around the state in an effort to build strong partnerships that address the industry’s needs.

 

Previously, Allen was President and CEO of BioSouth, Inc., a non-profit membership organization dedicated to support commercialization, licensing and partnering efforts for the bioscience industry throughout the southern U.S. There, he instituted member programs and produced the organization’s annual conferences, BioFusion and the CDC Technology Forum.

 

Allen began his professional career in sales of laboratory research equipment and supplies in the San Francisco Bay area. He moved from biotech sales into Atlanta’s high-tech industry in 1996 when he co-founded Newton Park, Inc., one of the region’s most successful marketing development and interactive strategy firms. As CEO, Allen led the organization from start-up to one of the area’s fastest growing companies and top five web development agencies in Atlanta.  In 2001, Russell founded BioQuotient, a bioscience business consulting and marketing firm before taking a position as a vice president of biosciences at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. In this role, he led the strategy to support and grow the Georgia bioscience industry.
 
Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Pepperdine University and a certificate in Biotech Enterprise Management from the Owen Graduate School of Business at Vanderbilt University. He serves on the board of directors for the Florida Research Consortium and Southeast BIO; on the advisory council for the Florida Department of Health FL CURED (Center for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease); and the BANNER Center for Biotechnology at the University of Florida. Last year, he was appointed to the 2009 Task Force for the Study of Biotech Competitiveness.   

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Stacey Silver Vice President, Member Relations BioFlorida, Inc.

Stacey Silver joined BioFlorida in March 2007 as Director of Marketing and Membership and has since taken on the role of Vice President, Member Relations. Stacey brings 10+ years of direct marketing, strategic communications, media and customer outreach, and editorial experience to the organization. Prior to joining BioFlorida, Stacey was the Marketing Communications Manager for Sun Valley Worldwide, a national industrial recycling firm located in Delray Beach, FL. There, Stacey was instrumental in landing several national accounts and worked closely with the president to establish a brand and identity for recycling initiatives. Stacey was also solely responsible for obtaining over $1M in tax state incentives for the company.

 

Prior to moving to sunny Florida, Stacey worked for a public REIT in Columbia, MD as the Director of Marketing. Other industries Stacey has worked for include telecommunications, antenna technology, healthcare and nuclear medicine. Stacey received her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University, and her MBA from the University of Maryland.
 

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Tara-Ann Coleman Office Manager  l  BioFlorida, Inc. Institute Coordinator  l  BioFlorida Institute, Inc.

Tara-Ann Coleman joined BioFlorida in October 2009 as the Office Manager and handles the day-to-day operations of the organization. Tara-Ann is responsible for A/R and A/P, database and website management, social media, and offers Chapter event and marketing support. 

 

She works closely with the start-up of the BioFlorida Institute and is the Florida coordinator for the BioGENEius Challenge, held each year at the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) convention, it is considered the most prestigious science competition for high school students that recognizes original research in biotechnology.

 

As a graduate from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor's Degree in biological science and a minor in public administration, Tara-Ann brings a solid level of understanding of the bioscience industry to BioFlorida.