RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 14, 2004 - The North Carolina Biotechnology Center, working with regional partners, has developed Advisory Committees for Biotechnology in the Piedmont Triad and Western North Carolina to strengthen biotechnology statewide.
Each Advisory Committee is composed of 20 to 25 people, representing institutions and vantage points key to biotechnology development throughout the Piedmont Triad and Western North Carolina. The Piedmont Triad and Western North Carolina each have growing capabilities and strong biotechnology communities with Center satellite offices. Developing biotechnology statewide is a priority of Governor Mike Easley's plan New Jobs Across North Carolina: A Strategic Plan for Growing the Economy Statewide Through Biotechnology.
The Advisory Committee for Biotechnology in Western North Carolina will be chaired by John F.A.V. Cecil, president, Biltmore Farms. The Advisory Committee for Biotechnology in the Piedmont Triad will be chaired by Rosemary Wander, Ph.D., associate provost for research, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. (Editors: a list of committee members follows this news release.)
"The Piedmont Triad Biotechnology Advisory Committee is an exciting opportunity for the Piedmont Triad," said Wander. "By combining the skills and experience found in both the public and private sectors, we create a biotech community for the area. This provides a synergy that can markedly enhance the growth of biotechnology in the Triad and increase our presence at the local, state, national and international level."
"The Western North Carolina Biotechnology Advisory Committee wants to accomplish three main goals," said Cecil. "We hope to further the 11 imperatives that the steering committee to strengthen biotechnology in Western North Carolina prioritized about two years ago. We want to integrate the statewide strategic plan into what works for Western North Carolina and work on what we can do to complement the plan. Finally, we want to identify what our indigenous strengths, niches and competitive advantages are, and then research and implement them by using the strengths of our public, private and non-profit sectors."
The Advisory Committees will work to strengthen the structure of each regional community, and assist its continuing movement from strategies and goals to practical outcomes. The committees will:
- verify - by its members, presence and activities - that biotechnology demands sustained, high-level, multi-partner attention;
- identify goals, strategies and activities to strengthen the biotechnology endeavor throughout the region;
- catalyze or sponsor events and projects useful to the regional biotechnology community;
- assist in the implementation of recommendations from New Jobs Across North Carolina: A Strategic Plan for Growing the Economy Statewide Through Biotechnology;
- recommend strategies and activities with which the North Carolina Biotechnology Center can assist in regional biotechnology development; and
- serve as an advocate, voice and resource for biotechnology development.
Members will serve three-year appointments and can serve two terms for a total of six years. The committee chair and vice chair will serve two-year terms. The committees will meet quarterly - in April, July, October and January - and will be administered by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is a state-supported, non-profit organization. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business and education statewide.
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Contact: Barry Teater, director of corporate communications, North Carolina Biotechnology Center, 919-541-9366, or barry_teater@ncbiotech.org. Visit the Center's Web site at www.ncbiotech.org.
Advisory Committee for Biotechnology in the Piedmont Triad
- Chair: Rosemary Wander, Ph.D., associate provost for research, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Vice Chair: Russ Read, CEO, Kucera Pharmaceutical Co.
Members:
- Louis Baldwin, Jr., president, The Baldwin Companies
- W. Andrew Burke, president, Greensboro Economic Development Partnership
- W. Steven Burke, senior vice president, corporate affairs, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
- Eric Button, consultant, Piedmont Triad Partnership
- Bill Dean, president, Idealliance
- J. Donald deBethizy, Ph.D., president and CEO, Targacept, Inc.
- Aqeel A. Fatmi, Ph.D., global vice president, R&D, Banner PharmaCaps, Inc.
- Dr. Gary Green, president, Forsyth Technical Community College
- Mike Gwyn, corporate banker, BB&T
- Loren Hill, president, High Point North Carolina Economic Development Corporation
- Tim Janke, regional director, Small Business & Technology Development Center
- Robert Leak, Jr., CEcD, president, Winston-Salem Business, Inc.
- Spencer Lemons, director, Office of Technology Asset Management, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Peggy Low, senior vice president, technology, Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
- Dr. Harold L. Martin, Sr., chancellor, Winston-Salem State University
- Adnan Mjalli, Ph.D., president and CEO, TransTech Pharma, Inc.
- N. Radhakrishnan, Ph.D., P.E., vice chancellor for research, North Carolina A&T State University
- Gwyn Riddick, director, Piedmont Triad Office, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
- Priscilla Taylor, Ph.D., executive director, The Cemala Foundation
- Kenneth Vance, senior vice president, commercial banking, Bank of America, Greensboro
- Marshall White, Jr., Ph.D., executive vice president, Guilford Technical Community College
- William Woodruff, department head, biotechnology southeast regional director, Bio-Link, Alamance Community College, Southeast Region Center
Advisory Committee for Biotechnology in Western North Carolina
- Chair: John F.A.V. Cecil, president, Biltmore Farms
- Vice Chair: George Briggs, executive director, The North Carolina Arboretum
Members:
- K. Ray Bailey, president, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
- Wesley Bond, Ph.D., assistant professor, Western Carolina University, Department of Chemistry
- Robert Burgin, president and CEO, Mission St. Joseph's Health System
- W. Steven Burke, senior vice president, corporate affairs, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
- Mark Burrows, economic development director, Transylvania County
- Dale Carroll, president and CEO, Advantage West-North Carolina
- Mark Clasby, director, Haywood County Economic Development Commission
- Greg Cumberford, senior resources manager, Gaia Herbs, Inc.
- Jeanine Davis, Ph.D., associate professor, North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Gwen Harris, executive director, Yancey County Economic Development Commission
- Nancy Herbert, Southern Research Station
- Richard Lutovsky, president and CEO, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
- Wayne McDevitt, vice chancellor, administration and financial affairs, University of North Carolina-Asheville
- Charles Moreland, Ph.D., Western North Carolina liaison, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
- Sharon Morrissey, Ph.D., vice president, instructional services, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College
- Tom Ranney, Ph.D., professor of horticultural science, North Carolina State University
- Kenneth Rossen, The Tryon Group
- Greg Schultz, president, Phenix Research Products
- Frank Taylor, former president and CEO, Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory
- Nancy Thompson, manager, Progress Energy
