Susan Wagle, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, has called the amount of money spent by the Kansas Bioscience Authority “lavish” and “flagrant.” Of particular concern are the salaries and bonuses paid to the agency’s top employees. Here’s a list of KBA’s top 12 highest paid employees. The list includes staff’s annualized salaries and benefits as well as the bonuses they received in 2010.

Tom Thornton, KBA President and CEO, $266,000 base salary, $43,660 insurance and retirement benefits, $100,000 bonus.

Janice Katterhenry, KBA CFO and COO, $175,000 base salary, $27,627 insurance and retirement benefits, $24,000 bonus.

David Vranicar, President of Heartland BioVentures, $175,000 base salary, $28,422 insurance and retirement benefits, $24,750 bonus.

Thomas Krol, Director of Commercialization for Heartland BioVentures, $157,500 base salary, $25,180 insurance and retirement benefits, $13,500 bonus.

Tony Simpson, Bioenergy Director for Heartland BioVentures, $157,500 base salary, $11,655 insurance and retirement benefits, $9,00 bonus.

Terry Osborn, Director of Commercialization for Heartland BioVentures, $150,000 base salary, $24,226 insurance and retirement benefits, $0 bonus.

Keith Harrington, Director of Commercialization for Heartland BioVentures, $134,000 base salary, $16,164 insurance and retirement benefits, $11,520 bonus.

Brad Kemp, Project Director for Cancer Fighting Cures, $126,000 base salary, $15,855 insurance and retirement benefits, $0 bonus.

Gary Micheel, Facilities Project Manager, $113,500 base salary, $23,433 insurance and retirement benefits, $6,000 bonus.

Tariq Abdullah, General Counsel, $110,000 base salary, $9,514 insurance and retirement benefits, $0 bonus.

Lindsay Thornton, Director of Special Projects, $107,500 base salary, $9,180 insurance and retirement benefits, $5,000 bonus.

Ruth Saale, Director of Accounting and Financial Reporting, $100,000 base salary, $15,102 insurance and retirement benefits, $5,000 bonus.