Trenton, NJ, Oct. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Governor Chris Christie has appointed Daniel J. O'Connor of Pennington and BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart to the New Jersey Biotechnology Task Force. The Task Force was created to improve communication between State government and the industry to find ways to help retain and attract biotechnology companies to New Jersey. It is led by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
“I am honored to be appointed to this important Task Force,” said Daniel O’Connor. “This initiative has already had a significant impact on the industry and the State. I look forward to working with the other members of the Task Force to generate new strategies that will enhance and encourage the growth of dynamic biotech companies here in New Jersey in order to meet patient needs.”
When the Task Force was established in the early 1990s, there were approximately 30 biotech companies in New Jersey. Today there are hundreds. The Task Force has generated numerous strategies that have impacted the growth of this important industry in New Jersey.
The Task Force is composed of nine members, including Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-14), Sen. Robert Gordon (D-38), Sen. Robert W. Singer (R-30), Asm. Gary S. Schaer (D-36), Asm. Andrew Zwicker (D-16), Asm. Jack Ciattarelli (R-16); a representative from New Jersey Economic Development Authority; as well as O’Connor and Hart.
Mr. O’Connor has 20 years of executive, legal, and regulatory experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including CEO and other executive leadership positions at Advaxis, Inc., ImClone Systems, Bracco Diagnostics, Inc., and PharmaNet (today, inVentiv Health). Most recently, Mr. O’Connor was the President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Advaxis, Inc. located in Princeton, NJ. As CEO, Mr. O’Connor uplisted Advaxis onto NASDAQ and, in five years, transformed it into a well-funded, well-staffed, leading cancer immunotherapy company with collaboration partners including Amgen Inc., Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squib and AstraZeneca.
In 2015, Ernst & Young named Mr. O’Connor Entrepreneur of the Year® in New Jersey. In 2016, he was the “Highly Commended” award winner for the 8th Vaccine Industry Excellence Award (ViE) Best Biotech CEO. In 2017, Mr. O’Connor was appointed Vice Chairman of BioNJ, leveraging his experience to guide and support the organization’s mission of fostering the innovation of research-based life science companies in the New Jersey region.
Mr. O’Connor is a 1995 graduate of the Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and currently serves as a Special Advisor to its Dean. Mr. O’Connor graduated from the United States Marines Corps Officer Candidate School in 1988 and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Marines, attaining the rank of Captain. He served in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield and received the National Service Metal and the Southwest Asia Service Medal. He is a former New Jersey criminal prosecutor.