NCBiotech's Laura Rowley: NCEDA's Emerging Leader of the Year
The North Carolina Economic Development Association today honored a North Carolina Biotechnology Center professional as the Emerging Leader of the Year for her successes in attracting and retaining life sciences companies.
Laura Rowley, Ph.D., joined NCBiotech in January 2017 and currently serves as director of life science economic development. She and her team lead efforts to create, manage and measure programs leveraging North Carolina’s technology-based assets to attract and retain life sciences jobs and investments.
Rowley formerly served as the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow at the University of North Carolina’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, where she focused on the development of resources and programming to promote technology development and commercialization among faculty, students, and university startups.
Through this fellowship, along with internships at the North Carolina Office of Science, Technology & Innovation, and the Business Technology Development group at the Biotech Center, Rowley has become a leader in the North Carolina innovation community.
Rowley earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Furman University in Greenville, S.C., and completed her Ph.D. in genetics and molecular biology at UNC-CH.
Bill Bullock, NCBiotech’s senior vice president for economic development and statewide operations, congratulated Rowley for her “significant role in a number of high-profile recruitment and expansion projects over the past few years.”
He noted that working closely with partners in state and local government and other business leaders, Rowley has supported 30 life sciences recruitment or expansion projects with anticipated growth of nearly 4,500 jobs and $2.5 billion in investment.
“In addition to these direct benefits to North Carolina, Laura has also supported a number of talent and workforce development initiatives around biomanufacturing, clinical research and overall STEM education,” he said. “She has also been active in the community including her participation on the Durham Public Schools Career & Technical Education Advisory Board and as a mentor, advisor and peer group leader with Women in Bio.”
NCEDA is one of the state’s leading membership organization for economic development practitioners, and their public and private allies and educational partners.
Founded in 1966, NCEDA works toward a mission of being “the voice for North Carolina’s economic development community — providing professional development, networking opportunities and advocacy to secure the state’s economic future.”
The organization is composed of about 700 professional economic developers at the state, regional and local levels, as well as educators, engineers, transportation experts, utility industry leaders, attorneys and other professionals. Based in Raleigh, NCEDA provides training, legislative representation, mentoring, news and information, and other services.
Randall Johnson, executive director of NCBiotech's Southeastern Office in Wilmington, became president of the organization for the 2020-2021 term on July 1.