For Release Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Kansas City, MO. – The Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute’s board of directors today announced that it has selected Dr. Wayne Carter as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer, effective June 18. Dr. Carter will succeed Dr. Dan Getman, who had announced his retirement in February after leading the organization since 2009.
With broad experience in both the animal and human health industries, Dr. Carter brings a unique understanding of the many life sciences opportunities in Kansas City and the region. Currently serving as the vice president of global research for Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. in Topeka, Dr. Carter leads new product discoveries to commercialization. He also worked 11 years for Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company for human and animal health drugs. While serving as Pfizer’s executive director of global clinical technology, he led the company’s North American clinical facilities responsible for the development, validation and implementation of new clinical technologies. In addition to his corporate experience, Dr. Carter currently serves as chairman of the board of the new Center for Animal Health Innovation in Olathe and has been actively involved in the KC Animal Health Corridor.
“Dr. Carter brings a proven record of success in human and animal research and product commercialization as well as strong leadership skills and a business-driven focus,” said Dr. Patrick James, chairman of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute (KCALSI) and senior managing director of Quest Diagnostics. “We are very pleased to have him join KCALSI and continue the momentum of life sciences in the region.”
Dr. Carter said the opportunity to leverage his background in animal and human health technologies excited him about his new role.
“I’m going to be able to leverage all of my capabilities in this position,” he said. “KCALSI takes all of the different pieces of human and animal health technologies and works to create economic development opportunities and life sciences initiatives within the entire region.”
Among the initiatives he’s particularly eager to support are the Translational Research Initiative, one of the Big 5 initiatives announced by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and Frontiers, a partnership of 3 medical centers, 10 health systems, and 15 community organizations working together on translational research projects.
“The continued development of Frontiers and the translational research initiative will be quite valuable for the entire region,” Dr. Carter said. “Translational research can help contain and actually decrease health care costs, and also provide great opportunities to focus on early stage disease prevention in addition to disease treatments.”
Dr. Carter said that he sees an almost “endless scope” of life sciences opportunities in the region, and that the support and collaboration among Kansas City’s leaders, organizations, companies and institutions for such initiatives is amazing.
“There is a tremendous strength with everyone coming together,” he said, “and KCALSI has a stake in the region’s future. I want to do whatever I can to help develop and advance those collaborations.”
Dr. Carter is a graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., where he received his B.S., D.V.M., and Ph.D. degrees. He is vice chairman of KansasBio, a non-profit organization to promote bioscience in the state, and also serves on several advisory boards. Dr. Carter and his family live in Lawrence.
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For more information, contact Sharon Newman at KCALSI, 816-753-7700, snewman@kclifesciences.org.