BioNexus KC announced today that after six years of service to the organization, Dr. Wayne Carter, President and CEO, will step down from his position later this year. Dr. Carter is relocating to Athens, Georgia, where his wife, Julie Behn Carter, has accepted an executive position with Trinity Health System. The BioNexus KC Board of Directors will conduct a national search for a new President and CEO and anticipates naming a successor to Dr. Carter by the end of 2018.
“It has been a great honor and privilege to work with our stakeholders and the broader region to increase partnerships, advance collaboration and grow the life sciences in Kansas City,” said Dr. Carter. “The future of the life science sector holds great promise for innovation, treatment and economic development as we continue to execute on the ‘Path to 2025’ strategy and partner with initiatives like KC Rising to compete and market ourselves across the country and around the world.”
During his tenure with the organization, Dr. Carter played a key role in moving BioNexus KC and regional life sciences forward. He convened several regional translational medicine conferences, led the Bioinformatics Asset Mapping Project with support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and created a unique and scalable funding source for STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art & Math) education through the Science to Art initiative.
“Wayne has been an outstanding leader for over the past six years and BioNexus KC and our entire region have benefited greatly from his passion, enthusiasm and expertise in the life sciences,” said Bill Berkley, BioNexus KC Board Chair. “He has done an exceptional job partnering with our stakeholders and the life sciences community to develop, implement and execute our strategic vision. The Kansas City region is better positioned today than ever before to take advantage of the incredible life science assets and resources located here and, thanks to Wayne’s leadership, we are poised to create even more opportunities for success.”
Dr. Carter’s leadership also was critical to the development and ongoing execution of the BioNexus KC “Path to 2025” strategy. His efforts include initiating Collaborate2Cure, a program designed to stimulate collaboration across our region and address specific scientific challenges. Given the importance of long-term strategic funding to the success of our region’s efforts, Dr. Carter identified new grant funds focused on neuromuscular diseases, nexus research grants from the Hall Family Foundation and initiated development of proof of concept funds for BioNexus KC. In addition, earlier this year, he led the rebranding of the Kansas City Area Life Science Institute to BioNexus KC in order to better define the regional strategic vision at the nexus of human and animal medicine.
About BioNexus KC:
BioNexus KC is a catalyst for innovation in animal and human health. We inspire thinkers from different disciplines to combine their efforts for a common purpose — healthcare innovation. From bioinformatics to cancer research and beyond, our goal is to provide the collaborative tools needed to showcase emerging technologies and bring them from conception to reality. Since the organization’s inception, BioNexus KC has been a leader in the effort to advance the region’s life sciences industry, including supporting the creation of the KC Animal Health Corridor and the recruitment of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas.
BioNexus KC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.