RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Virginia Bio, the statewide non-profit trade association for the life science industry, today announces that John L. Newby II is named CEO, effective August 5, 2019.
Newby will be leaving his current role as the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (VDVS), where he leads an 850-member Agency located across 50 Virginia locations, delivering employment, education, benefits, behavioral health and long term health care services to Virginia’s Reservists, Guardsmen, transitioning service members and 725,000 veterans.
Andrew Krouse, Chairman of the Board Virginia Bio and CEO of the clinical stage pharmaceutical company Cavion, Inc., Charlottesville, VA, said: “We are fortunate to have someone of John Newby’s caliber and leadership experience at the helm of Virginia Bio. We face great opportunity for our members, the industry and the state, in rapidly changing times. Newby is an extraordinarily experienced leader with statewide responsibilities and national vision. He has a heart for service and an extraordinary dedication to Virginia. He has a proven track record of execution. He is passionate about the opportunities in our industry and knows what it takes to turn ideas into reality.”
Prior to leading VDVS Newby practiced corporate, intellectual property and Hatch-Waxman biopharmaceutical law at international law firms in Richmond and Washington DC, and at a multinational company. Newby previously commanded an Air Force special operations unit supporting the U.S. Army’s 3rd and 7th Special Forces Groups (Airborne), and served in Iraq as an aviator aboard the Boeing B-1B Lancer strategic bomber. Newby received his commission and Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law.
John Newby said: “I am honored and excited to lead Virginia Bio. I believe that R&D and private sector commercialization of advances in the life sciences have enormous potential to improve lives - to create new ways to attain health and treat illness, to improve access to healthcare, to revitalize agriculture and protect and regenerate the environment. The industry creates and attracts high paying, high tech jobs in Virginia, taps the resources of our great higher ed institutions, and provides opportunities for our children to make their careers and homes here. I look forward to helping our members succeed in their important work and our industry thrive.”
Newby succeeds Jeff Gallagher, who will step down as CEO after 7 years. Gallagher will remain with Virginia Bio as Senior Advisor to the CEO and the Board. Jeff Gallagher said: “John Newby is uniquely prepared to lead Virginia Bio into the future and impact the success of our members in serving patients and customers. At VDVS he has proven to be a compelling spokesperson to varied audiences across the state, an able participant in state and federal policymaking in support of the Veterans he served. His private legal practice experience in corporate and intellectual property demanded his counsel in some of the most complex business and legal issues which life science companies face.”
About Virginia Bio
Virginia Bio is the statewide non-profit trade association that serves and promotes the life sciences industry in Virginia. Approximately 300 companies spanning biopharmaceuticals, medical device, med tech, diagnostics, digital health, bioinformatics, agriculture and industrial bio and related fields are based in Virginia, mainly clustered around research universities and medical institutions in Blacksburg/Roanoke, Charlottesville, Richmond, Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia. Virginia Bio is the sole state affiliate and works closely with key national industry organizations BIO, AdvaMed, MDMA, PhRMA and We Work for Health. For more information about Virginia Bio and the bioscience industry in Virginia, please visit www.vabio.org.
