Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Media Coverage: 'Kevin M. Smith to Retire as President & CEO of CID4; Search Committee Formed to Hire Smith’s Successor'

Coverage overview:


"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) has begun a search for a new Executive Director, as Kevin M. Smith leaves as part of a planned retirement."
Link to BioPortfolio
"Kevin M. Smith will step down from his position as president and chief executive of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development, also known as CID4, on Dec. 31. The nonprofit bioscience charity has formed a search committee to find a new CEO, CID4 board Chairman Steve Orndorff said. Smith will be available through February to assist during the transition." Link to BizWest

Monday, November 24, 2014

TechFlash: 'Colorado bioscience organization searches for new leadership'

Quoting from today's Denver Business Journal posting by Greg Avery:

"The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development is looking for a new CEO in advance of the retirement of Kevin Smith, the nonprofit group's current leader.

Smith is a co-founding executive of the Aurora-based nonprofit, known as CID4, that was started to help fill a gap in funding for bioscience startups. CID4 identifies and helps fund early-stage Colorado bioscience companies that have the potential to grow and create local jobs.

Smith, a former president of Gambro U.S.A., a Lakewood-based medical device company, plans to retire Dec. 31. He'll be available to the organization through February to help in the transition, the organization said. The CID4 board has formed a CEO search committee."

Link to the Denver Business Journal

InnovatioNews: 'Kevin Smith to retire from leadership of Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development on Dec. 31'

Quoting from this morning's posting:

"Kevin M. Smith, president and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) since 2010, will retire from his post on Dec. 31.

Steve Orndorff, chairman of the CID4 board and president and CEO of Micobiome Therapeutics, said the board has formed a search committee and that Smith will remain available through February 2015 to assist in a smooth transition for CID4’s new executive director...

...CID4 said all inquiries should be directed to the CID4 Search Committee at jobs@cid4.com. Deadline to apply is Dec. 20."

Link to InnovatioNews

DeviceSpace: 'Kevin M. Smith To Retire As President & CEO Of The Colorado Institute For Drug, Device And Diagnostic Development; Search Committee Formed To Hire Smith’s Successor'

Quoting from this morning's posting:

"Kevin M. Smith, President and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) since 2010, will retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer on December 31, 2014. The announcement is made by Steve Orndorff, PhD, Chairman of the CID4 Board and President & CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics, who says the CID4 Board has formed a search committee and that Smith will be available through February 2015 to assist in a smooth transition for the new Executive Director."

Link to DeviceSpace

Well-known Life Science Executive Kevin M. Smith to Retire as President/CEO of Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development; Search Committee Formed to Hire Smith’s Successor

Kevin M. Smith to Retire as President & CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development; Search Committee Formed to Hire Smith’s Successor

The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) has begun a search for a new Executive Director, as Kevin M. Smith leaves as part of a planned retirement. Mr. Smith will remain with CID4 through February 2015 to ensure a smooth and successful transition for CID4’s new leader.

Aurora, CO November 24, 2014 – Kevin M. Smith, President and CEO of the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) since 2010, will retire from his position as Chief Executive Officer on December 31, 2014. The announcement is made by Steve Orndorff, PhD, Chairman of the CID4 Board and President & CEO of MicroBiome Therapeutics, who says the CID4 Board has formed a search committee and that Smith will be available through February 2015 to assist in a smooth transition for the new Executive Director.

“With the ongoing changes in the healthcare and life science sectors, CID4 is revisiting how it can best support our industry,” Orndorff said. “CID4 is well positioned for its future and we believe the new Executive Director position will strengthen our alignment with the State of Colorado in our mutual quest to create new jobs and business opportunities within the dynamic life science sector of advanced industries.”

All inquiries should be directed to the ‘CID4 Search Committee’ at jobs@cid4.com. The deadline for applications is December 20, 2014. Principals only need apply, please.

About Kevin M. Smith, CID4 President/CEO

Smith was part of the team that founded CID4 in 2009. Prior to CID4, Smith was President of Gambro, Inc., the U.S. holding company for Gambro AB, the Sweden-based medical device and healthcare services company. He started his career with Arthur Young in New York and was a partner with Ernst & Young, leading the development of their Colorado life science practice at the time he left to join Gambro.

“While I will no longer be leading CID4, I will stay active in the Colorado life science community through my Board responsibilities at the Colorado BioScience Association, Donor Alliance and AlloSource, my service on the Centura Health Audit and Corporate Responsibility Committee and my investment activities at KMG Capital Partners LLC,” Smith said. “CID4’s success is grounded in the excellent technologies that are being developed in Colorado. We have invested approximately $3 million into nine early stage companies. Those firms have gone on to create 85 new jobs and raise an additional $30 million to support the commercialization of their patient-focused technologies. I am proud to have played a role in this process.”

About the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development

Founded in 2009, the Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization whose mission is to advance the Colorado bioscience ecosystem through company creation and job growth. Active business management and capital work in tandem to help bridge the gap between discovery and product development. CID4 works to identify, fund and actively manage emerging life science technologies. This aim is achieved via an ongoing technology solicitation process augmented by additional deal flow sourcing through networked relationships. Active due diligence is provided by CID4 management in consultation with members of the CID4 Technical and Business Advisory Committee. For more information visit http://CID4.com

Contacts:

Kevin M. Smith, President/CEO CID4, http://CID4.com - kevin.smith@cid4.com, (720) 859-4047

Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, http://www.absolutelypr.com - maggie@absolutelypr.com, (303) 984-9801 or (303) 669-3558

Link to the PitchEngine social media release

Link to the PR.com posting

Friday, November 14, 2014

Video Highlights: 2014 CBSA Awards Dinner

Colorado BioScience Association announced winners of its 11th annual industry awards at the Marriott City Center, Denver, on November 6th. The announcement is made by April Giles, CBSA President and CEO, who opened the evening with an overview of this year’s industry accomplishments. Giles was joined by 850 KOA’s Steffan Tubbs and CBSA Board Chair Derek Cole in announcing the winners. For more information, visit: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20141020005183/en/Colorado-BioScience-Association-Honors-Industry#.VGZWIvnF98E
 
Colorado Bioscience Industry: 2014 Accomplishments
http://youtu.be/GJAPrxe8Enc
 
CBSA Awards Emcee Steffan Tubbs Opening Remarks
http://youtu.be/P_f1wLPrUYg
 
Presentation of the 2014 Boettcher Investigators
http://youtu.be/LBcMi1Y6tVg
 
CBSA Awards 2014 Recipients

http://youtu.be/MFh5B2ibGKo
 
Chairman's Award: Derek Cole Presents
http://youtu.be/18fsXfwddrI
 
CBSA Lifetime Achievement: Dr Richard Duke Remarks
http://youtu.be/6FQ1yqz8T7s
 
Davis Phinney Introduction by Bob Reddy, Medtronic
http://youtu.be/xj5ggFi2rck
 
2014 CBSA Awards Keynote: Davis Phinney
http://youtu.be/Ux82IQayzPU
 
CBSA Awards 2014 Closing: Patients are the Reason
http://youtu.be/xj5ggFi2rck

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Xconomy: Colorado Bioscience "Companies Take a Bow"

Quoting from the November 7th edition:

"Colorado bioscience’s best: The Colorado BioScience Association also honored their industry’s leaders this week. AlloSource, which is a nonprofit organization based in Centennial, was named company of the year by the association.

AlloSource develops and distributes tissues that can be used in surgical procedures such as skin grafts and joint repair. It has more than 400 employees.

This year, AlloSource expanded its work in stem cell research and began using microbe detection technology developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to improve tissue decontamination procedures. AlloSource’s hope is that the NASA technology will cut the time it takes to get donated tissue and organs to recipients.

Boulder-based ViroCyt won the award for rising star of the year. The company’s Virus Counter is able to calculate a virus’ growth rate in minutes and is used in vaccine and drug development, viral therapeutics, and protein expression research.

For a list of individual winners, click here."

Link to Xconomy

Monday, November 10, 2014

Colorado BioScience Association Showcases Industry’s Best at 2014 Awards Dinner Celebration

Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) announced winners of its 11th annual industry awards at the Marriott City Center, Denver, on November 6. The announcement is made by April Giles, CBSA President and CEO, who opened the evening with an overview of this year’s industry accomplishments.

Giles was joined by 850 KOA’s Steffan Tubbs and CBSA Board Chair Derek Cole, announcing the following winners:

Company of the Year: AlloSource

AlloSource, based in Centennial, is committed to its success and growth in Colorado’s bioscience community. Expanding its Colorado headquarters by 90,000 square feet in 2012, the company continued the momentum in 2013 by launching a new proprietary allograft used in a broad range of soft tissue surgical procedures. Most recently in 2014, AlloSource announced two new partnerships which will expand their work in stem cell innovation as well as undertake a new project with NASA through the Space Act Agreement. This work will advance microbial research in tissue processing for various Mars missions. Visit: http://www.allosource.org . Finalists for Company of the Year were: Mountainside Medical, Boulder, http://mountainsidemed.com and Spectranetics, Colorado Springs, http://www.spectranetics.com.

Rising Star of the Year: ViroCyt 

ViroCyt, Boulder, launched the first Virus Counter in 2011, which has proven to be faster, more accurate and cost effective than traditional viral quantification methods with results in minutes instead of days or weeks. This year ViroCyt announced the introduction of the next generation Virus Counter at the World Vaccine Congress held in Washington, DC. The technology has already been adopted by the leading companies in the fields of viral vaccine development and therapeutic protein expression. Virocyt’s innovations are changing the landscape of virus detection technologies. Visit: http://virocyt.com. Finalists for Rising Star were: JustRight Surgical, Boulder, http://www.justrightsurgical.com and Silvergate Pharmaceuticals, Greenwood Village, http://www.silvergatepharma.com.

Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Richard Duke

Dr. Duke is an accomplished scientist with over 25 years of experience in cutting-edge biomedical research, and is a tenured faculty member in the Departments of Medicine and Immunology at the University of Colorado Denver. He has been instrumental in the development of Colorado’s bioscience industry as an executive, inventor, biomedical researcher and serial entrepreneur. Dr. Duke was involved in the formation and management of GlobeImmune, Newellink USA, ApopLogic Pharmaceuticals, Sierra Neuropharmaceuticals, PeptiVir, MenoGeniX and Aurora Oncology. He has also been integral to these Colorado-based companies, by raising more than $200 million in financing and helped bring multiple products to human clinical trials.

One of the Colorado bioscience industry’s proudest achievements was the creation of the BioScience Discovery Evaluation Grant Program (also referred to as BDEG). Dr. Duke was the visionary and driving force behind the development of BDEG, making the program what it is today. This initial concept in 2006 has now become a national model for state’s trying to cultivate a bioscience industry of their own.

Institute Leadership: Jim Rosa

During last year’s Awards Dinner, CBSA introduced a new award, the Institute Leadership award. This award was created to recognize outstanding efforts that further the Colorado Bioscience Institute’s mission of providing education, workforce and career development for life science professionals, companies, students and teachers. This year, CBSA honors one outstanding Institute champion, Jim Rosa, for his leadership on the workforce training programs. The workforce training programs involve partners with deep content expertise and a strong commitment to advancing knowledge and closing workforce gaps in Colorado’s bioscience eco-system.

Business Partner of the Year: Phyllis Arthur, BIO

CBSA’s 2014 Business Partner of the Year is Phyllis Arthur, Senior Director of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Diagnostics Policy at the Biotechnology Industry Organization. Ms. Arthur was a remarkable partner for CBSA on Senate Bill 222, becoming the bioscience industry’s taskforce representative and also forging lasting relationships with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Children's Immunization Coalition and many other stakeholders. In the end, the taskforce collectively - and unanimously – agreed to all of the recommendations for Colorado. Phyllis continues to remain involved during the implementation phase and will act as a resource providing national best practice models and allowing the State to leverage her relationships and knowledge base.

Educator of the Year: Deborah Carnevale

Deborah Carnevale is the Director of the Overland High School Biotechnology Program. Under her leadership, the school’s biotechnology program has received multiple grants and certifications. Students who have completed the program have an advantage when entering college. Their advanced research skills in biotechnology has enabled many of them to receive laboratory jobs as university freshmen, a rare opportunity. Her dedication and commitment to her students is commendable.

Volunteer of the Year: Amy Wedeking Shannon

Ms. Shannon is Principal Consultant for Caliber One Solutions and an active participant on CBSA’s Membership Committee. Her knowledge base and relationships in the community have proven to be very valuable to the membership efforts of CBSA. Her drive is tireless and capable when bringing new members into the organization. Amy also provides great leadership and insight through her recommendations to better the committee process. In the words of Committee Chair (and 2013 Volunteer of the Year) Dustin Whistler, the committee is very lucky to have her.

Chairman’s Award: Monisha Merchant

Monisha Merchant serves as Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Michael Bennet and has been a tremendous leader for the bioscience industry and the State as a whole. During the development of the 2011 America Invents Act, Senator Bennet co-authored a provision to establish three United States Satellite Patent and Trademark Offices. Ms. Merchant’s commitment to the goal of securing a satellite office in Colorado was truly commendable. She helped to spearhead the process and forged an incredible coalition of public and private partners which ultimately led to the selection of the Denver site. This achievement will not only better the entrepreneurs in the state and also across the region. Ms. Merchant also played an integral role in leveraging her influence and relationships to create the Blackstone Entrepreneurial Network (BEN) in Colorado. BEN links Master Entrepreneurs across industries and regions to support high growth entrepreneurial activities. Most recently, she facilitated the “Bioscience in Colorado” day where she and Senator Bennet invited key community leaders to explore the industry’s eco-system.

About the Awards Dinner 

The Awards Dinner began with a cocktail reception followed by dinner and the awards program. In addition, the Boettcher Foundation presented its 2014 Class of Boettcher Investigators in the Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Program. The event closed with a keynote address by Olympic cycling medalist and Parkinson’s survivor Davis Phinney.

Phinney, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2000 at the age of 40, founded the Boulder-based Davis Phinney Foundation in 2004. Today, Phinney is both a role model in the cycling community and an inspiration to the estimated 1.5 million Americans and estimated 10 million worldwide who are currently living with the disease. Tens of thousands of people living with this disease have been directly touched by one of the Davis Phinney Foundation programs or through Davis Phinney’s inspirational message: “it is possible to live well with Parkinson’s today.” For more information, visit: http://www.davisphinneyfoundation.org and http://www.medtronicdbs.com/parkinsons/personal-stories/davis-phinney/index.htm.

Sponsors of the Awards Dinner included: Boettcher Foundation; Cooley, LLP; Fisher Scientific, Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority, Medtronic and Terumo BCT.

Link to the Business Wire Newswire

Link to the PitchEngine Social Media Release