Last month, Governor Rick Perry formed the Governor's Council on Science and
Biotechnology Development. Among the 33 members and ex-officio representatives
appointed to the council are seven from the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
The Council consists of individuals from across Texas, representing the state’s
best in science and technology, research, higher education, and business. Local
representatives include:
- George Bayoud, president of Raven Interests;
- Robert Gracy, associate vice president for research and biotechnology at
the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth;
- Dee Kelly, Jr., director with Kelly, Hart & Hallman law firm;
- Dr. Craig Rosenfeld, program director of the bone marrow transplant program
at Medical City Dallas Hospital;
- Charles Tate, partner at Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst Inc.;
- Dr. Kern Wildenthal, president of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical
Center at Dallas; and
- Alfred Hurley, chancellor of the University of North Texas and the University
of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.
The Council will work to create a seamless system of innovation from the laboratory
to the marketplace in the rapidly developing areas of biotechnology - such as
biopharmaceutical development, bioinformatics, genomics and nanotechnology.
The Council’s mission is to ultimately bring more research dollars to Texas
higher education institutions, encourage university researchers to get products
that advance the quality of life to the market and create biotechnology jobs
across Texas. Currently, Texas ranks sixth in research funds received from the
National Institute of Health, and third overall in research expenditures.
Last year, the Greater Dallas Chamber’s Technology Business Council began
a program to promote and develop the biotechnology and life sciences industry
in response to industry growth. The program has been underway since the spring
of 2001 and is already making a positive difference. The Chamber has engaged
member companies in regional efforts to promote biotechnology and life sciences
and is a participant in the monthly BiotechnologyDallas Coalition seminar series.
The Chamber is also working with coalition partners to present the Dallas region’s
biotechnology community at the international Bio 2002 trade show in Toronto
June 9-12. To assist area biotechnology companies, last fall the Chamber established
a Biotechnology & Life Sciences CEO Roundtable program in which eleven biotech
and life sciences companies are currently participating.
