Dr. Alcorn is an experienced clinical chemist and molecular biologist with more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. He began his career at the University of North Carolina, where he focused on sexually transmitted diseases pathobiology and vaccine development. However, Dr. Alcorn has worked in a variety of healthcare sectors throughout his career, including reference laboratories, medical device manufacturing, medical software development, in vitro device development, and pharmaceutical development. 

He has extensive experience in infectious diseases and served as the laboratory director at LabCorp’s Center for Molecular Biology and Pathology, where he developed advanced clinical assays and managed a laboratory that generated more than $50 million in revenue. 

In addition, Dr. Alcorn was Director of Clinical Affairs at Janssen Diagnostic, Inc. and helped bring new diagnostics and software to the global market to support the launch of drugs for the treatment of HIV and HCV.

Dr. Alcorn has also overseen the development and global commercialization of medical devices, including a handheld ultrasound device and wearable sensors for monitoring ECG and patient vitals. He also served on the scientific advisory board for Roche Diagnostics for several years as well as for other diagnostic companies. 

In addition, Dr. Alcorn has authored numerous publications, book chapters, and international clinical chemistry guidelines. Throughout the years, he has also gained significant experience in global reimbursement, health economics, and commercialization. 

Moreover, he has experience in device and diagnostic regulations and is currently an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University’s graduate regulatory science department, where he teaches courses in IVD regulation and translational biotechnology.

Kelly Andrews is a native and lifelong resident of Pitt County. Entering her 20th year with Pitt County, she became the Director of Pitt County Economic Development in October 2020 after serving as Associate Director for 14 years.

Andrews serves on the Pitt Community College Board of Trustees, as well as other boards including the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce, Martin-Pitt Partnership for Children, Pitt County Arts Council, and Downtown Greenville Partnership.  In addition, she serves on the ECU Engineering Advisory Board, NCBiotech Center Economic Development Advisory Committee, and EDPNC Economic Development Advisory Council. 

She was also a founding member of the BioPharma Crescent marketing consortium.

Carlin Blakley is an HR Generalist III at Thermo Fisher Scientific with nearly a decade of human resources experience. She partners with leaders to support employee relations, talent management, organizational growth, and complex people matters. 

With a background spanning recruiting, conflict resolution, workplace investigations, performance management, and HR strategy, Carlin brings a collaborative, practical approach to helping leaders build strong teams and create a positive employee experience. 

Carlin has also supported NCBiotech’s Grads2Work Program for the last three years. Through her work with the program, Carlin helps connect emerging talent with meaningful career opportunities while supporting the workforce needs of the business. She is passionate about creating accessible pathways into the life sciences industry, developing talent, and helping individuals discover opportunities to build successful careers.

J. Christopher Buddo serves as the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at East Carolina University. He came to ECU in 2006 as Director of the School of Music before serving as Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication from 2012 to 2021. Before coming to ECU, he held faculty and administrative positions at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He has also taught at Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois, and the University of Northern Iowa. 

As a double bassist, he has performed with a number of music festivals, including the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival. He has also played with numerous orchestras throughout the country, including the Des Moines Symphony, the Roanoke Symphony, the Fort Worth Symphony, and the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle. 

He helped to found and currently serves as the Principal Bass of the New Carolina Sinfonia in Greenville, NC. As a conductor, Dr. Buddo has led multiple opera productions, directed the Iowa City Youth Orchestra, and was the founding conductor of the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Jason Buskirk has spent twenty-five years turning health data into discovery, and his career began where research begins. He started in the Information Warehouse at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he co-led the Translational Research Team, secured more than $500,000 in sponsored research funding, and published with the American Medical Informatics Association on using clinical data warehouses to screen patients for clinical trials and to power genotype-phenotype discovery.

That research foundation became a business. Jason is a co-founder of Health Care DataWorks, a technology and commercialization company spun out of OSU's academic medical center — proof that university-born science can reach the market. 

He served in multiple leadership positions, raised a $5 million Series A, and guided the company through its acquisition. In that work, he partnered with many of the country's largest academic medical centers, two Pioneer ACOs, and multiple independent children's medical centers — giving him a national view of how research institutions actually put data to work. Along the way, Columbus Business First named him one of its 20 People to Know in Technology, and the company earned a place on the Fast 50 list of Central Ohio's fastest-growing private companies in back-to-back years, 2013 and 2014.

Today at ECU Health, Jason leads enterprise data, analytics, and AI — building the secure research environments, governance, and platforms that let eastern North Carolina's clinicians, academics, and industry partners collaborate on rural health innovation.

Dr. Clemens is a Professor of Physiology and neuroscientist at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine. Trained in Germany, France, and the United States, his research focuses on the role of the spinal cord in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and chronic pain, and his work bridges fundamental neuroscience with the development of new therapeutic approaches and techniques.

He is an inventor on multiple patents covering novel treatments for RLS and chronic pain, including approaches with the potential to reduce reliance on conventional opioid therapies. A Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, he works with academic, clinical, and industry partners in the United States and Europe to translate mechanistic discoveries into new treatments for neurological disorders.

Mayor P.J. Connelly is a committed public servant, devoted to fostering Greenville’s growth and upholding the community’s trust in the Mayor’s Office. Mayor Connelly joined the Greenville community in 2004 as a standout athlete on East Carolina University’s baseball team, earning his Finance degree in 2005. He went on to play professional baseball with the Los Angeles Angels before returning to Greenville in 2007 to launch a real estate business and establish his family. 

Mayor Connelly began his public service as a volunteer on the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission, participating in planning and development discussions. In 2015, he was elected to the City Council as the representative for District 5, and in 2017, he was elected Mayor. 

Alongside his role as Mayor, Connelly serves Greenville by participating on several regional boards and committees, including the Pitt-Greenville Chamber Board, East Carolina University Board of Visitors, Greenville Urban Area Metropolitan Organization (MPO), North Carolina Metropolitan Mayors, North Carolina League of Municipalities (NCLM) Board of Directors, NCLM Mayors Association, and the NCLM Advancing Municipal Leaders Advisory Council.

Natalie Evans serves as the Career Development Coordinator at D.H. Conley High School in Greenville, N.C., where she helps students connect their education to meaningful career and postsecondary opportunities. She works closely with students to develop individualized career plans, explore options for life after graduation, and identify pathways that align with their interests, strengths, and goals.

A key part of her role is connecting students with work-based learning experiences, including internships that provide valuable exposure to professional environments and real-world career skills. 

Natalie also assists students with researching careers, educational programs, training opportunities, and other post-graduation pathways. She is committed to helping students make informed decisions and leave high school with a clearer vision and practical plan for their future.

Since 1989, Jennifer has served as the executive director of the Wilson Economic Development Council and corporate secretary for Wilson County Properties, Inc.

She has attracted $7 billion in new investment and provided Wilson County $1.80 for every $1.00 received in funding.

In her roles, she is responsible for the development of 6000+ new industrial jobs, as well as three new corporate parks and two existing industrial parks.
 

Dr. Loren Limberis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering at East Carolina University, where he also serves as the Biochemical Engineering Concentration Coordinator. In this role, he has led the development of an integrated, laboratory-intensive, design-based curriculum that equips engineering graduates with the practical skills and industry readiness needed for successful careers in the biopharmaceutical sector. 

Dr. Limberis is also the Director of the Eastern Region Pharma Center (ERPC), a regional workforce development initiative dedicated to expanding awareness of and access to careers in the biopharma industry. Under his leadership, the ERPC has established partnerships with five counties, their respective community colleges, and key industry stakeholders across the BioPharma Crescent, strengthening the talent pipeline in eastern North Carolina. He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Utah.

Gerald and members of his team support the broader Thermo Fisher network by developing and implementing virtual reality (VR) content and AI-enabled capabilities. They leverage emerging technologies to enhance training, improve operational effectiveness, and create innovative solutions that deliver value across the organization.

Gerald graduated from East Carolina University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems. He has spent the past 26 years with Thermo Fisher Scientific, building a career focused on technology, innovation, and supporting teams across the organization.

Janis Gallagher serves as the County Manager for Pitt County Government.  She assumed this role in 2022 after serving for 24 years in the Pitt County Legal Department.  As both Legal Counsel and Manager, Janis has been a strong supporter of economic development, particularly in the area of life sciences. 

Janis graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, NC, and Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA.  

Micah Geiger is a Human Resources leader in the life sciences industry with expertise in talent strategy, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness. 

A two-time graduate of East Carolina University, she partners with leaders to build high-performing teams, strengthen workplace culture, and support business growth in complex development and manufacturing environments.

Pete Goodridge serves as general manager for Johnson and Johnson’s Biotherapeutic Manufacturing Facility in Wilson, North Carolina, currently under construction. He assumed this role in the fall of 2024 and is responsible for 
operational and business readiness for the facility as it comes online following the construction phase over the next few years.

Pete joined Johnson & Johnson 14 years ago, following service in the U.S. Army. At Johnson & Johnson, Pete has worked across synthetics and Biotherapeutics in supply chain and manufacturing roles, while living in multiple locations within the US and Europe.

Lee Lilley's service as North Carolina's Secretary of Commerce began on January 1, 2025. Appointed to the office by Governor Josh Stein, Secretary Lilley brings extensive economic development experience to the role.

Before joining the department, Secretary Lilley served as the Director of Economic & Pandemic Recovery for Governor Roy Cooper. In that position, he coordinated statewide pandemic recovery efforts, served as State Infrastructure Coordinator, and led economic development initiatives for the Cooper Administration. Lee also advised Cooper Administration leadership on strategy and communications.

Lee joined the Governor’s Office in 2018 as the Director of Legislative Affairs, where he led all Gubernatorial and Executive Branch engagement with the North Carolina General Assembly and served as the principal advisor to the Governor on policy and legislative strategy. Lee was previously senior vice president and deputy director of federal practice at McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC, based in Washington, D.C. There, he represented a diverse group of clients including Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, trade associations, and non-profits before Congress and the federal Executive Branch. He led public affairs strategies for clients facing political and regulatory scrutiny of international mergers and acquisitions, litigation, and trade disputes. 

Before joining McGuireWoods, Lee served as legislative director for Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), a member of U.S. House Democratic leadership and the Energy & Commerce Committee, and the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He served as the Member’s senior legislative strategist and policy advisor.  Lee is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tanya is skilled in relationship development, community engagement, K12/college/industry partnership development, biotechnology, project management, event organization, budgeting, and community college administration. 

Malcolm Meyn is Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Amalgent Therapeutics and Founder of ZForm, LLC. He brings more than 25 years of experience spanning biomedical research, drug development, regulatory strategy, and biotechnology fundraising.

At Amalgent, Dr. Meyn leads development of an opioid-sparing therapeutic approach based on technology licensed from East Carolina University. He directs the company’s integrated development program across preclinical pharmacology, CMC, analytical development, regulatory strategy, and IND-enabling activities, while managing its network of CROs, CDMOs, regulatory consultants, and scientific collaborators. He has helped secure approximately $1 million in investment for Amalgent, as well as $2.8 million in NIH SBIR funding as Principal Investigator.

Dr. Meyn began his research career as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, conducting research in protein function, cell signaling, and cell-cycle regulation. He later served as a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, supported by an NIH K01 Howard Temin Award, and as Director of Preclinical Programs at Noveome Biotherapeutics, where he helped bring complex biologics to the clinic.

Mike Muglia is the Interim Executive Director of the UNC Coastal Studies Institute on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. He is a physical oceanographer involved in resource characterization and marine renewable energy development for more than a decade.  He applies his knowledge and ocean experience to help teams develop marine renewable energy and desalination technologies on the North Carolina coast.

His interests include understanding variability in position and transport of western boundary currents, the confluence of different shelf water masses,  shelf and deep-ocean exchange processes, meridional overturning circulation linkages between western boundary currents, and deep western boundary currents.

Sharon Paynter serves as East Carolina University’s senior vice provost for research and innovation and the university’s chief research officer. She has dedicated more than a decade to ECU in a variety of leadership roles, including assistant vice chancellor for economic and community engagement, acting chief research and engagement officer, interim chief research officer, and chief innovation and engagement officer. 

During her appointments, Paynter helped secure major institutional distinctions, including ECU’s designation as an Innovation and Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities and the renewal of its engaged status by the Carnegie Foundation.

Paynter holds a doctorate from North Carolina State University, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University, and earned master’s degrees from the University of Denver and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also received her bachelor’s degree.

Dr. Michael Waldrum is chief executive officer (CEO) of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Waldrum is a specialist in critical care medicine and pulmonology and is trained in internal medicine. He has expertise in clinical effectiveness, information systems, and health care management in academic organizations.

Waldrum has significant expertise and experience managing the clinical operations of hospitals and clinics. Before coming to eastern North Carolina, he served as the president and CEO of The University of Arizona Health Network. Before that, he was the CEO of the University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham (UAB) and vice president of the UAB Health System. He also served as chief operating officer and chief information officer of the UAB Health System.

Waldrum is a member of the CaroNova Board of Directors, the NC East Alliance Board of Directors, and the Greater Greenville Chamber Board of Directors. Waldrum also serves as the chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Board of Directors, where he has held board leadership positions since 2020.

Kiriayani's career in NC's pharmaceutical industry began through the NCGrads2Work program shortly after high school. Since joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, she has spent the last five years growing professionally, progressing from operator I to senior formulation technician to manufacturing scientist within Technical Services. 

Kiriayani is passionate about supporting product quality, improving manufacturing operations, and continuously learning in a dynamic industry.