Topeka ? State officials Monday announced the appointment of a new board that is charged with putting Kansas at the forefront of scientific research and medical breakthroughs.

“We must seize the opportunity we have in front of us to diversify the Kansas economy, create thousands of high-wage jobs and put our state on the cutting edge of life-saving technology,” Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said.

More stories about bioscience research More about the appointees

The Bioscience Authority includes renowned scientists and entrepreneurs from across Kansas and the nation.

The appointees are:

¢ Victoria Franchetti Haynes, Ph.D., president and CEO of RTI International at the Research Triangle in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina;

¢ Sandra Lawrence, senior vice president and treasurer of Midwest Research Institute in Kansas City;

¢ Bill Sanford, technology-based entrepreneur, founder of STERIS Corporation and current CEO of NanoScale Materials, Inc. in Manhattan;

• Clay Blair, D.Ed., entrepreneur and philanthropist in the Kansas City area, and former chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents;

¢ David Franz, D.V.M., Ph.D., expert in bio-terrorism, professional appointments to Midwest Research Institute and Kansas State University, originally from Hutchinson;

¢ Dolph C. Simons, Jr. of Lawrence, civic leader and chairman of The World Company, which includes the Lawrence Journal-World and Sunflower Broadband;

¢ Dan Glickman, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture during the Clinton Administration, former congressman from Wichita and recently appointed president of the Motion Pictures Assn. of America;

¢ Jim Barone, Kansas state senator and corporate executive from Frontenac;

¢ Stephen O’Connor, Ph.D., nationally recognized innovator and technology-oriented entrepreneur, originally from Leavenworth.

In addition to the voting members of the authority, Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Kansas State President Jon Wefald have been selected to fill positions as non-voting members.

Kansas is trying to pull ahead in the competition for market share in the fast-growing bioscience industry.

Franchetti Haynes said Kansas is poised to move quickly in this area. “The state’s position as a leader in the fields of animal health, plant research, and industrial/environmental bioscience, as well as its proximity to Stowers Medical Research Institute, presents an incredible confluence of resources to put Kansas on the map in this field,” Franchetti Haynes said.

The Bioscience Authority was spawned by legislation approved earlier this year.

Under the legislation, the authority will be in charge of determining the types of facilities and research, working with universities to recruit scholars, overseeing the commercialization of intellectual property, and financing development projects.

Under the bill, tax revenue generated by bioscience companies will be reinvested in more bioscience research and development; an estimated $500 million to $600 million over the next 10 years.

Supporters say the measure will create 20,000 bioscience jobs and just as many indirect jobs, providing another leg to the state’s economy which has been hit by the loss of 27,000 manufacturing jobs since 1999.

The appointees are subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate this fall. After their confirmation, the authority will meet to elect officers and establish appropriate committees.

Legislators who sponsored the bioscience bill have said the performance of the board is crucial to the state’s success in attracting more research.

In an earlier interview, state Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing, said: “The individuals who are going to be put on this are going to make or break this whole act. They will have one of the most challenging tasks that is put to any group in a long, long time. It’s not going to be easy. With the right leadership, we can be very successful.”

For photos of appointees, biographies and background information, visit: www.ktec.com/bioauthority.