Oregon Bioscience Association Appoints Eight New Board Members

PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#biojobs—Oregon Bioscience Association, the trade association for the bioscience industry in Oregon, today announced the appointments of Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D., Heather Ellis, Ritchard Englehardt, M.A., Tina Guldberg, Lisa Hale, Sean McClain, Todd Predmore, and Sandra Shotwell, Ph.D., to its board.

“With backgrounds in research, strategic partnering, government affairs, construction and industry leadership, our newest members join us with a broad range of experience,” said Liisa Bozinovic, Executive Director of Oregon Bio. “As our latest economic impact report shows, Oregon’s growing bioscience industry footprint reached $10.7 billion, creating 47,238 jobs for $1.5 billion in wages across 820 business establishments in 2017. As the region continues to build its leadership position in scientific research and innovation, it is important to diversify the expertise of our current board and engage new leaders in our mission.

The eight members join Oregon Bio’s board with a wide range of skills and knowledge:

• Peter Barr-Gillespie, Ph.D., serves as the Chief Research Officer and Executive Vice President of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), leading dozens of internationally and nationally acclaimed basic, translational, clinical and public health research programs and collaborations with external academic, industrial and community research partners.

• Heather Ellis is the interim Director at the Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute (OTRADI), which houses the Oregon Bioscience Incubator (OBI). The OBI is Oregon’s first and only bioscience-focused incubator to support and grow bio and digital health startup companies and entrepreneurs. OBI currently houses 30 resident startups, provides entrepreneurial programming, and provides a mentor network for emerging biotech companies across Oregon.

• Ritchard Englehardt, M.A., is the Associate Director of State Government Affairs for Biogen in the western states. He brings extensive strategic leadership experience in public policy, community affairs and communications. Ritchard has a broad understanding of the innovation ecosystem and how companies, patient groups, academia, and government can work collaboratively to deliver for patients.

• Tina Guldberg joined University of Oregon as the Senior Director of Industry Partnerships in 2018. She has a background in engineering and served the previous 15 years developing strategic partnerships for the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute.

• Lisa Hale is the CEO at Grace Bio-Labs in Bend. Prior to joining Grace Bio-Labs, she led commercial operations for the Bio Sciences Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Lisa has 25 years’ commercial experience in the biotechnology sector. As an original commercial employee of Invitrogen, she developed and executed commercial strategies from IPO offering through 31 mergers and acquisitions successfully driving revenue growth for Life Technologies with Thermo Fisher Scientific. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from San Diego State University. She and her family reside in Bend.

• Sean McClain is the CEO and founder of AbSci, a graduate company of the Oregon Bioscience Incubator and current global leader in biotherapeutic discovery and manufacturing technologies. Through Sean’s leadership, AbSci is experiencing significant momentum, including raising more than $20 million in venture financing enabling AbSci to grow its corporate headquarters and a cutting-edge laboratory in Vancouver, Washington.

• Todd Predmore, LEED AP, is Vice President/Account Manager for Skanska USA Building’s Oregon and Southwest Washington operations. In his 22 years with Skanska, he has managed high-profile construction projects, serving customers and owners in the aviation, health care, data centers, schools and warehousing sectors. His diverse skill base comprises broad experience across many different market sectors.

• Sandra Shotwell, Ph.D., is an experienced biotech entrepreneur, with a passion for global health. She is cofounder and CEO of DesignMedix, Inc. and cofounder and Board Chair for Elex Biotech Inc., companies developing small molecule therapeutics for infectious disease and heart disease, respectively. Sandra has extensive experience in technology transfer and licensing and is an active angel investor.

View Oregon Bio’s full Board of Directors here.

About Oregon Bio

The Oregon Bioscience Association seeks to create opportunity through advocacy, cultivation, education and group purchasing discounts for its members and the sector. Oregon Bio promotes the growth and quality of the bioscience industry in Oregon and continually seeks ways to support sustainability, acceleration and growth in the life science, bioscience, biotechnology and device manufacturing industries. Oregon Bio, a nonprofit membership association, affiliates with BIO (Biotechnology Innovation Organization), and AdvaMed (Advanced Medical Technology Association).

The region’s most current bioscience economic impact study showed in 2017 Oregon’s growing bio footprint reached $10.7 billion, creating 47,238 jobs for $1.5 billion in wages across 820 business establishments. Between 2002-2017, total bioscience employment in Oregon jumped 72 percent among the five industry subsectors. Health-related R&D at Oregon hospitals and universities generated $669 million in economic activity in 2017. In 2015, federal research funding to Oregon institutions totaled more than $363 million. Venture capital investments in Oregon’s bioscience-related companies have increased in recent years and between 2014 to 2017, totaled $76.5 million.

BIO’s “Value of Bioscience Innovation in Growing Jobs and Improving Quality of Life 2018” report showed Oregon attracted 1,274 bioscience and related patents. BIO also found Oregon is emerging in several bioscience areas, with job growth in four of the five major subsectors from 2007 to 2016. Oregon’s share of NIH funding is growing.

For more information about Oregon Bioscience Association, please visit www.oregonbio.org. Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Contacts

Liisa Bozinovic, Executive Director, (503) 548-4432

Dianne Danowski Smith, Publix Northwest, (503) 201-7019