Plenary Speakers

The Labs21 2009 Annual Conference began on Tuesday, September 22, with an opening plenary session to welcome all participants to the conference. On Thursday, September 24, a second plenary session announced the Go Beyond Award winners and wrapped up the conference.


Opening Plenary

Master of Ceremonies/I2SL Welcoming Remarks and Announcements

  • Fred Brunk, Siemens Building Technologies, I2SL Board of Directors


Local Welcome Addresss

  • Scott Miller, Indianapolis Economic Development, Inc.


Opening Plenary Keynote Speaker

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Richard Kidd, Program Manager, Federal Energy Management Program

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Craig Hooks, Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources Management


Biographies

Picture of Dr. LechleiterJohn C. Lechleiter, Ph.D., chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Eli Lilly and Company

John C. Lechleiter chairs Eli Lilly and Company's operations committee, as well as its executive committee. Lechleiter served previously as president and chief operating officer of Lilly, beginning in 2005, when he also joined the board. In 2004, he became Lilly's executive vice president of pharmaceutical operations. Prior to that, he had served as executive vice president for pharmaceutical products and corporate development since 2001.

Dr. Lechleiter received a Bachelor of Science degree summa cum laude in chemistry from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1975. He studied organic chemistry as a National Science Foundation Fellow at Harvard University, where he received his master's and doctorate degrees. In 2006, Dr. Lechleiter received an honorary doctorate of business administration from Marian College of Indianapolis.

Joining Lilly in 1979 as a senior organic chemist in process research and development, Dr. Lechleiter became the head of that department in 1982. In 1984, he began serving as director of pharmaceutical product development for the Lilly Research Centre Limited in Windlesham, England.

He returned to the United States in 1986 as manager of research and development projects for Europe. In 1988, he became director of development projects management, and in 1989 he assumed additional responsibility for pharmaceutical regulatory affairs. In 1991, he was named executive director of pharmaceutical product development, and in 1993, he became vice president. He was appointed vice president of regulatory affairs in 1994. In 1996, he was named vice president for development and regulatory affairs. Dr. Lechleiter became senior vice president of pharmaceutical products in 1998.

Dr. Lechleiter is a member of the American Chemical Society. He serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and as a member of the Business Roundtable and the Business Council. In 2004, he was appointed to the Visiting Committee of Harvard Business School and to the Health Policy and Management Executive Council of the Harvard School of Public Health. He also serves as a member of the board of trustees of Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio). In addition, he is a distinguished advisor of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, a member of the board of directors and executive committee of Fairbanks Institute, and a member of the United Way of Central Indiana board of directors. He also serves on the board of Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.

Photo of Richard Kidd

Richard Kidd, Program Manager, Federal Energy Management Program

Richard Kidd comes to FEMP with a diverse set of management, leadership, and diplomatic skills gained through working in more 70 countries and serving in a variety of public and international organizations. Following the events of September 11, he was recruited by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political–Military Affairs where he was able to apply his experiences in Afghanistan and other post-conflict areas. In 2003, he assumed the duties of office director in the newly formed Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. In June of 2007, he was selected to serve as deputy assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Political–Military Affairs (acting), where he oversaw the functions of four separate offices. Additionally, he was the bureau’s senior executive responsible for business administration and budget activities. During this period, Mr. Kidd remained current on developments in the field of alternate energy, renewable energy, and energy security, collaborating, with organizations active
in these areas.

Photo of Craig Hooks

Craig Hooks, Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources Management

Craig Hooks serves as assistant administrator for the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM). OARM is responsible for governing the Agency’s resources management including grants and contracts, human resources, and facilities management. Prior to joining OARM he served as the director of the Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds (OWOW) at EPA within the Office of Water. OWOW promotes a watershed approach to manage, protect, and restore the water resources, and aquatic ecosystems of the nation’s marine and fresh waters. Mr. Hooks served as chairman of the Mississippi River/ Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Coordinating Committee, which is responsible for coordinating federal and state interagency efforts to reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Hooks also served as the EPA representative on the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which is responsible for preservation and protection of coral reef ecosystems.

 

Go Beyond Awards Ceremony and Labs21 Luncheon

Master of Ceremonies

  • Dan Doyle, Grumman/Butkus, I2SL Board Member

Conference Highlights and a Look Ahead to 2010

Awards Introduction

Presentation of 2009 Go Beyond Awards

  • I2SL, Laboratory Design Newsletter, EPA, DOE

Closing Remarks

  • Master of Ceremonies

 

Biography

Photo of Julie Higganbotham

Julie Higginbotham, Laboratory Design Newsletter

Julie Higginbotham has been editor of Laboratory
Design Newsletter, an Advantage Business Media (ABM) publication, since 1997. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and has been a business journalist for more than two decades, with a concentration on architecture, engineering, and construction topics. Before joining ABM, Ms. Higginbotham was managing editor of School and College Planning and Management magazine. She is the recipient of multiple awards for journalism, including the prestigious Jesse H. Neal Award, known as the “Pulitzer Prize of the business media.”