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board of directors

Leadership

Top leaders from academia, government and industry, representing a variety of biotech disciplines, serve on Bio Nebraska’s Board of Directors.

Current Directors

Brook Aken

Director of Economic Development & External Relations, Omaha Public Power District

Brook Aken is the Director of Economic Development & External Relations at the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), where she leads a team focused on business attraction, business retention and expansion, and community development throughout the 13 counties OPPD serves. Before joining OPPD, Brook was an Economic Development Consultant at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.

Brook serves on local and regional boards including the Southeast Nebraska Development District, Cass County Economic Development Council and MidAmerica Economic Development Council. Brook also served as President of the Nebraska Economic Developers Association and was named Professional of the Year in 2020.

Brook holds a bachelor’s degree, with highest distinction, in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Brook is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and is a Certified Economic Developer through the International Economic Development Council.

Tala Awada, Ph.D.

Associate Dean, Agricultural Research Division, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Dr. Tala Awada is the Associate Dean in the Agricultural Research Division (ARD) at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR), a Professor of Plant Ecophysiology in the School of Natural Resources, a Fellow of the Robert Daugherty Global Water for Food Institute, and a Fellow of the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI), University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She co-leads the Nebraska Long-term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR-ARS/USDA) network site. Her research is transdisciplinary in nature, and focuses on the sustainability, productivity, and resilience of agricultural, grassland and forest ecosystems under climate variability and change and anthropogenic management.

She received her PhD in Plant Sciences from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada; MS in Environmental and Renewable Resources from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece; and BS in Agricultural Engineering from the Lebanese University, Lebanon.

Kristin Bernard

Founder and CEO, Daro

Kristen is Founder and CEO of DARO. DARO is an agricultural biotech startup that provides early warning pathogen surveillance systems to the swine industry. Previously, Kristen was lab manager for an emerging pathogens and genomics lab at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She helped create, organize and improve multiple surveillance programs for communities in Nebraska and around the globe (Sars CoV2 wastewater surveillance and MPox genomic sequencing for the State of Nebraska, measles and plague genomic surveillance for the Democratic Republic of Congo). Kristen received her B.S. (College of Agriculture) and M.S. (Population Genetics) from Iowa State University.

Cobus Block

Director of International and Business Recruitment, Nebraska Department of Economic Development

Cobus leads the Department of Economic Development’s International Engagement and Business Recruitment Teams. In that role, he assists Nebraska companies with exports, joint ventures, and new market entry, and works with foreign and domestic companies interested in expanding in Nebraska. Cobus is also responsible for the state’s promotional activity, which includes foreign trade offices in Germany and Japan. Cobus has organized multiple Governor-led trade missions to Europe and Asia and coordinates with various state and national agencies to promote the Nebraska overseas. 

Before working at the Department, he spent 3 years studying and working in Asia. For two years in China, Cobus worked for the Frontier Program researching agricultural development. Most of his research focused on food safety and supply chain management in the Chinese dairy industry, and the development of the Chinese aquaculture industry. His findings have been published in the Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security and other publications. In 2012, Cobus received a Fulbright Research Scholarship to Kazakhstan where he spent a year at KIMEP University in Almaty, researching border trade between China and the former Soviet Union. 

Cobus holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Eric Clark

Co-Founder and CO-CEO, GMP Pros

Eric is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of GMP Pros, a company dedicated to enhancing the capacity, efficiency, and quality of regulated manufacturing in the pharmaceutical, animal health, biotech, and food industries. GMP Pros achieves this by integrating engineering expertise, business change leadership, and advanced technology.

A proud Nebraska native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineering graduate, Mr. Clark brings a diverse range of corporate, entrepreneurial, and life experiences to his role. Throughout his corporate career at companies including HP, Kawasaki, and Novartis he was recognized as a serial “intrapreneur,” consistently driving continuous improvement and innovative solutions.

In 2013, Mr. Clark transitioned to entrepreneurship, co-founding and co-leading multiple companies with his wife, Stephanie. In 2019, they started GMP Pros with the intention of creating a world-class, values driven, people focused company that stands the test of time as an “Evergreen” company.  The company has earned the “Great Place to Work” designation and was ranked #914 on the Inc. 5000 list.  He is an active member of the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE).

Known for his out-of-the-box yet pragmatic approach to problem-solving, Mr. Clark is passionate about advancing Nebraska’s manufacturing sector and bioeconomy. His dedication to people, continuous improvement, and innovation aligns with Bio Nebraska’s mission to promote, connect, and catalyze the biosciences in the state.

Charley Cull, DVM, Ph.D.

Vice President of Research & Development, Midwest Veterinary Services

Dr. Charley Cull serves as the Vice President of Research and Development at Midwest Veterinary Services, Inc., and affiliates, and is a Co-owner of Innovations Through Research, LLC. He provides expertise in infectious disease modeling, production agriculture consulting, and business knowledge to advance new products through the correct regulatory pathway, including adherence to GLP (21 CFR Part 58) and GCP (VICH GL9) guidelines. In addition to providing data and support for regulatory approval of animal health and biomedical device products, Dr. Cull focuses on epidemiological studies and technological advances for the dairy, beef, and swine industries.

Dr. Cull attended Kansas State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree followed by a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Pathobiology with an emphasis in Epidemiology, and the University of Nebraska Lincoln, where he received a Master of Business Administration degree. Dr. Cull serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine /Pathobiology at Kansas State University and committee member for the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Research Council. In addition, he is a member of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Alpha Gamm Rho Fraternity, American Association of Bovine Practitioners, American Association of Laboratory Animal Science, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, American Veterinary Medical Association, Association for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Bio Nebraska, Conference of Research Workers in Animal Disease, Iowa Bio, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Michael Dixon, Ph.D.

President and CEO, UNeMed Corporation

Dr. Michael Dixon is president and CEO of UNeMed, a non-profit company that works with faculty, students and staff of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and Nebraska Medicine to help commercialize innovative, new ideas that have the potential to improve public health.

Dr. Dixon’s tenure at UNMC began in 1998 when he joined the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases where he focused on his research interests in the areas of molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry.

Dr. Dixon is a graduate of Leadership Omaha Class 32 and a 2011 recipient of the Midlands Business Journal “40 under 40” award. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Invest Nebraska, a non-profit, venture development organization that advises and invests in early stage, high growth Nebraska companies.

promotional activity, which includes foreign trade offices in Germany and Japan. Cobus has organized multiple Governor-led trade missions to Europe and Asia and coordinates with various state and national agencies to promote the Nebraska overseas. 

Before working at the Department, he spent 3 years studying and working in Asia. For two years in China, Cobus worked for the Frontier Program researching agricultural development. Most of his research focused on food safety and supply chain management in the Chinese dairy industry, and the development of the Chinese aquaculture industry. His findings have been published in the Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security and other publications. In 2012, Cobus received a Fulbright Research Scholarship to Kazakhstan where he spent a year at KIMEP University in Almaty, researching border trade between China and the former Soviet Union. 

Cobus holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Kate A. Engel

Executive Director, Nebraska Innovation Campus Development Corporation

Kate A. Engel is the executive director of the Nebraska Innovation Campus Development Corporation, the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation owned by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Kate’s primary responsibility is to supervise NICDC staff, direct business operations and work to grow the roster of partners, including private businesses and university entities, at NIC. She also leads infrastructure planning and development, client services, and marketing and public relations, as well as manages relationships with commercial developers and other entities that may build or operate facilities at NIC.

Kate joined the NICDC team in 2011 to assist with establishing operations and marketing for the public/private research campus before its 2012 groundbreaking. Most recently, Kate was director of strategic partnerships and communications. In that role, she assisted the past executive director with recruitment and retention, additional marketing and public relations efforts, space build-outs, workforce development, and resources and programs for NIC’s private- and public-sector partners.

Kate grew up on a farm near Red Oak, IA. She holds a bachelor’s in fine arts from Nebraska Wesleyan University, a Master of Arts in management from Doane University, a Master of Science in leadership from UNL and a graduate certificate in public relations and social media from UNL’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Jordan Feuerborn

Director, State Government Affairs and Policy, Merck

Jordan Feuerborn currently serves as Director for State Government Affairs and Policy for Merck, a research-intensive biopharmaceutical company delivering innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. In her role, Jordan has responsibility for government affairs in a multi-state region that includes Nebraska. She is based in Lawrence, Kansas, where she resides.

Prior to joining Merck, Jordan served as the Kansas government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. In this role, she lead advocacy efforts promoting evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem.

Jordan’s earlier experience includes her role as Kansas Navigator Project Coordinator for the Community Care Network of Kansas, where she supported the work of 100 plus health insurance Navigators in Kansas. In 2012, Jordan served as a Correspondence Associate in the White House Office of Presidential Correspondence for the Obama Administration. Jordan received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an emphasis in American Politics from the University of California, San Diego.

Billy Hagstrom

CEO & Co-Founder, Bluestem Biosciences

Billy Hagstrom is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Bluestem Biosciences, Inc.  Based in Omaha, Bluestem Biosciences is designing biology with the end in mind, to enable existing infrastructure in the Midwest for industrialized synthetic biology. We are leveraging digital biology to facilitate the discovery of biomanufacturing, focused on the sustainable production of chemicals and materials. Bluestem Biosciences was founded in January 2022.

Billy previously served as Executive Vice President of Strategy & Development for Green Plains, Inc.. Prior to moving to Omaha in 2021, Billy served as Chief Executive Officer of Cannalysis. Previously, Billy was a Managing Director at Highbridge Capital Management focused on the convergence of industries including natural resources, technology and consumer sectors. Billy started in investment banking at J.P. Morgan focused on Natural Resources & Infrastructure. Billy earned his BA in Economics from Northwestern University.

Sara Meyers, Ph.D.

Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity, University of Nebraska Omaha

Sara A. Myers, received her PhD at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2011 while using biomechanics to better understand functional impairments in patients with peripheral artery disease. She joined UNO as faculty in 2011 in the Department of Biomechanics and joined the Office of Research and Creative Activity (ORCA) in 2016. Her current research focuses on improving quality of life in older individuals and those with peripheral artery disease. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and NASA. In 2022, Dr. Myers was named Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity where she provides leadership of UNO’s growing and diverse research and creative activity mission. She provides oversight and support the Offices of Sponsored Programs, Grants Accounting, Research Compliance, and supporting Governmental Relations. Dr. Myers is a native of rural Hampton, Nebraska and she currently resides in Ashland, NE with her husband Matt and their five children.

Niraj Patel

Director of Operations, Neogen

Niraj Patel is the Director of Operations for Neogen Genomics in Lincoln, Nebraska. In his role, Niraj oversees the operations for servicing a high throughput genomics laboratory across production animals, companion animals and human testing; this includes supporting Neogen’s six global labs in Scotland, China, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Spokane, Washington. Additionally, Niraj has been part of several expansions and integrations to ensure delivery of high quality genomic data with a rapid turn-around time.

Niraj received his B.S in Biochemistry from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has a passion for how DNA can help the world while helping provide future generations opportunities to use science and technology to make a difference.

Genevieve Plumadore

Director of State Government Affairs, Bristol Myers Squibb

Genevieve Plumadore is the Director of State Government Affairs for Bristol Myers Squibb in the Upper Midwest region.  Genevieve is an accomplished government relations professional with more than 15 years in public affairs in the Midwest. Her career has focused on healthcare policy, high technology innovation lobbying, the research economy, and higher education policy and funding.  Highlights include creating and directing government affairs for the Medical Alley Association, Minnesota’s counterpart to Bio Nebraska.

Genevieve graduated from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA and got her law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, MN.

Genevieve lives in Excelsior, Minnesota with her husband Charlie (a middle school science teacher) and her seven-year-old son, Harrison. She is active with the Minnesota Hispanic Bar Association and the broader Minnesota legal community.

Laurie Reagan

Plant Manager, BD North America Molding Center

Laurie Reagan joined BD in 2015 and serves as the Plant Manager of the company’s Columbus, Nebraska facility. Included in her role at BD, Laurie successfully completed the start-up of the company’s North America Molding Center and completed its 90,000 square foot expansion, bringing 160 new jobs to Columbus. Laurie brings to the Bio Nebraska board 21 years of work in the Medical Device industry, including manufacturing roles in the United States and Mexico. Laurie has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Engineering & Management from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY.

Misty Wehling

Co-chair of the Biotechnology Program, Southeast Community College

Misty obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology from Union College and a Master of Science degree in biological sciences from UNL. Most of Misty’s professional experience has been at Southeast Community College, at the Lincoln and now Beatrice campuses where she teaches biology and biotechnology. She led a team at SCC in developing and implementing three stackable biotechnology credentials to meet workforce needs for Nebraska’s bioscience industry sector. She is currently co-chair of the biotechnology program at SCC and enjoys the continued work to increase awareness of the broad scope of science-related careers available at all skill levels.

Jessica Wiley, Ph.D.

CEO and Bioinformatics Scientist, PathoSeq Bio

Jessica Willey, Ph.D. is Bioinformatics Scientist and Chief Executive Officer at PathoSeq Bio. Dr. Wiley is a highly-skilled scientist with a background in infectious disease research across government, industry, and academic settings. She is a research professional with a Ph.D. focused in Biochemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT), pursuing interests such as diagnostics for Infectious Disease (ID), ID surveillance, and outbreak prevention. Her diverse and rich experience as a small business owner, combined with her deep-rooted expertise as an infectious disease scientist, uniquely positions her to provide invaluable insights, leadership, and direction to others. Ultimately, Jessica enjoys a passion for infectious disease research and a mission to help the world, and Low- and Middle-Income Countries in particular, tackle the problem of disease surveillance and diagnostics.

Amanda Wilson

Technology Manager, Novonesis

Amanda Wilson, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, has a background in chemical engineer with a B.S from Missouri S&T. She’s spent most of her career working in production as an engineer for various companies. She joined Novonesis (formerly Novozymes) in 2015 as a process engineer, later served as as an operations director, and is now the Technology Manager. Amanda has a lot of passion for promoting and developing Women in STEM, after spending most of her career in the minority in both engineering and in manufacturing and encountering some of the hurdles many women in the STEM field have dealt with. In her free time, she is an ultramarathoner, running 50k and 50 Mile races, and enjoys spending time with her husband and cat.

Kirk Zeller

Chief Business Officer, Co-Founder & CEO, Progressive NEURO

Kirk Zeller is a 25+ year veteran of the medical device industry with extensive global commercial experience having lived, worked, and studied in US, Europe, and Asia. Kirk has leveraged his Silicon Valley start-up experience and start-up focused research to start several companies including Progressive NEURO, Inc, ATS.Solutions, and MedMarket Access. Kirk is the Co-Founder & CEO of Progressive NEURO. Kirk currently serves on the boards of MedMarket Access and Progressive NEURO, Inc. Kirk received an award and was recognized by United States Congressman Adrian Smith for his entrepreneurial endeavors during COVID.

Kirk has a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) from the International School of Management (Paris) and an MBA with a specialization in Health Technology Entrepreneurship from Imperial College London with research for both degrees focused on medical device start-ups.  Doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis topics were as follows: “European Market Entry Strategic for Venture Capital Financed Medical Device Companies” and “Financing and Beyond: The Role of Venture Capital in Silicon Valley Based Medical Device Companies.” Kirk wrote the business plans and raised financing for two of Imperial College London’s medtech start-ups during his MBA. Kirk spent much of his undergraduate studies in Japan studying at Nanzan University and Senshu University then started his career as a heart valve sales rep in Japan.

Tom Zuk

Principal, Holland Basham Architects

Tom is a licensed architect and serves as a principal at Holland Basham Architects, a mid-sized architectural firm situated in Omaha, Nebraska. Boasting more than three decades of expertise in the design and construction realm, Tom’s career spans various sectors, including industrial, industrial manufacturing, Bio Health Sciences, large scale retail, corporate, educational, healthcare, and workforce housing. Beyond his architectural pursuits, Tom’s entrepreneurial spirit has led him to ownership of ventures in the professional, retail, and single-family housing sectors. Notably, Tom is an alum of Leadership Omaha and significantly contributes to the nonprofit landscape through his board membership and participation in various committees such as Kiwanis, Meyer Foundation for Disabilities, ACE, and a Bellevue Nebraska Chamber Board Member.

Executive Leadership

Rob Owen

Executive Director

Rob Owen joined Bio Nebraska as Executive Director in 2019. Prior to Bio Nebraska, Rob was an attorney with the Dobrusin Law Firm, a strategic intellectual property law firm, where he was Of Counsel, and served as general counsel for Streck, Inc., a market leader in the medical device industry, for over 8 years. While serving as Streck’s general counsel, Rob became involved with Bio Nebraska. He was active in the organization for many years and most recently served as chairman of the board of directors.

Prior to entering the private sector, Rob held a series of advisory positions in the federal legislative and executive branches, first as Senior Counsel to U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel, then as Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, and later as Counselor with the U.S. Department of Labor. He also worked as the Director of Government Affairs for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Rob earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska. He continues to give back to the Omaha community as a volunteer and board member with the Westside High School Alumni Association and the Christ the King School Parents Club.

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Interested in getting involved with Bio Nebraska? Connect with us and we can chat about opportunities to get involved.

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