What is the Iowa Biotech Association?

The association includes members from every facet of biotech, from the Pioneer (Hi-Bred International Inc.) and Monsanto (Co.) agricultural guys to Kemin (Industries Inc.) and folks who are involved with pharmaceuticals, things like that. What I’m there to do, what we are there to do as an association, is to educate people, educate our kids, our Legislature – just the general public – on why biotech is necessary: what’s good about it, why not to be afraid of it. And advocacy: trying to make sure we have a good business climate for companies that are already here and those we are seeking to bring in. From my perspective, I think Iowa has a unique opportunity because we are an agricultural state and this is finally an opportunity to take advantage of that and hopefully help our rural communities survive.

Why is biotech important to Iowa?

I think why it is important to Iowa, number one, is economic development. This is the chance for us to utilize our resources, our work force, our work ethic, our infrastructure – all of the things that we have here and we are always so proud of. We finally have an opportunity to utilize that, and the general public I don’t think appreciates how much the biotech companies that are here already do and what more could be done with those. It wouldn’t just benefit on a tax basis or on a “we’ve-got-a-big-company-to-talk-about” basis, but these are companies that would be located in … some of the areas that aren’t necessarily cities or highly populated areas. But they are very important and bring in a lot of experience and expertise that we don’t even know about, because they are very specialized fields.

What kinds of companies belong to the group?

The association was basically created to help the little guys: the entrepreneurs, those who don’t have the critical mass or maybe the economies of scale to get benefits such as purchasing agreements we have with different vendors so they get better deals on bulk purchasing. While we do have a lot of big (companies), some of our members are two-person shops. It’s a big range.

Was it the job or something else that brought you to Iowa?

I was hoping to come back to Iowa. Obviously, most people need a job to do that, and this job presented itself. So yes, the job brought me back; otherwise I would still be looking. But the family was the underlying reason; all my family is in southern Iowa and Missouri.

What has changed in Des Moines since you were last here?

I was really surprised by just the growth of the city; how much more appealing it is, too. On the rural side of it, not so great, it continues to decline. But it’s nice to see that Des Moines has taken advantage of its position as the capital city, as kind of the hub of all things in Iowa. I think that will continue to attract people, especially as they find out about the hospitality and all of the great things that we’ve always had to offer. This just makes it a little easier for people who want to come here and have something to do. If we could only get a big sports team now, that would really help. But it’s a pleasant surprise to come back.

What motivates you to excel?

I’ve completed two triathlons and am training for a third. A former boss once told me that almost every decision is based on fear or greed. My motivation for the triathlon comes from a similar mentality and relies heavily on the fear side of things. It’s a trick to get myself in shape, really. I sign up for the event and then am forced to get and stay in shape in fear of not finishing the event or coming in last. And I should also admit I like the commemorative T-shirts.

What else can you tell me?

How do you get kids excited about science when they are 10 years old? How do you get them to stay excited, go to the university, get the degree, stay in Iowa and get the job with one of the companies here? And how do you have the companies to provide those jobs to entice kids to want to stay, all and all ending up with a rural community and a strong Iowan work force? I like that about my association, because I have all those members available. It’s just trying to fit it all together.