Topeka ? Clay Blair, who has served as the only chairman of the Kansas Bioscience Authority since its formation in 2004, announced Tuesday he was resigning.

In a letter to Bioscience Authority board members, Blair, a Johnson County businessman, gave no reason for his departure.

“As volunteers, we have accomplished extraordinary gains in the growth of the Kansas’ bioscience community and put the KBA on a clear path to be a national model for bioscience growth,” Blair said.

His resignation came nearly three weeks after the Kansas City Star reported that Blair’s Lenexa-based business Clay Blair Services Corp. received from the Bioscience Authority $46,000 over 11 months for “office expenses and clerical support” and Blair received $23,239 for reimbursement for expenses.

Blair made no mention of the controversy in his letter.

Several authority members, however, defended the expenses, saying the payments were approved unanimously by executive committee members. In addition, they said, Blair did an extraordinary amount of work for the Bioscience Authority and was instrumental in recruiting businesses to the state.

Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, praised Blair’s work on the authority which oversees development in Kansas’ life sciences research and development.

“With Clay Blair at the helm, the KBA has gained national recognition and respect,” Morris said. “I sincerely thank Clay for his contributions to the KBA and to the state. We wish him well in every future endeavor,” he said.

Morris will name a replacement member to the authority this week and the panel will select a new chair.