Sacramento Life Sciences Conference

Darrell Steinberg is the Mayor of Sacramento and was the Senate President pro Tempore in the California Legislature. He is one of Sacramento’s most accomplished public servants, serving the Sacramento community for over 20 years. Steinberg represented California’s capital city in the California Legislature from 1998 - 2014, and was the first Sacramentan to serve as President of the Senate in over 125 years. Steinberg earned a reputation for confronting seemingly intractable problems and delivering results for California through consensus-building. Elected to the Senate in 2006, Steinberg became President pro Tempore in late 2008, at the deep end of the economic downturn when the state faced an unimaginable $42 billion deficit. Two years later, he was honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award by the Kennedy Library Foundation in recognition of his leadership in bipartisan negotiations leading to the state’s fiscal recovery. Throughout his entire career, Steinberg led the Legislature on numerous complex issues, including the 2009 and 2014 state water agreements, criminal justice reform, and reinvesting over a billion dollars in career technical education. He led the common-sense pension reform eliminating flagrant abuses of the system. He authored legislation to expedite the legal process for large-scale environmentally sustainable projects. Steinberg also teamed up with Republican lawmakers to eradicate frivolous lawsuits and improve the Americans with Disabilities Act while motivating businesses to accommodate disabled customers. Steinberg has been a relentless advocate for mental healthcare, calling it “the under-attended issue in our time and in our society.” Heralded within the mental health community as the “most transformative figure mental health has ever seen,” Steinberg authored Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act, creating a one billion-dollar system for dynamic mental healthcare in California. He continued his work by fighting to fund 2,000 new mental health crisis beds in the 2014-2015 state budget. He also passed legislation to mandate insurance companies to cover treatment of children with autism and related disorders. At the local level, Steinberg played a key role in Sacramento’s downtown revitalization, obtaining state funding for a new courthouse, which is expected to create 1,800 jobs for the city. Steinberg also fought for state monies for career pathways to connect high school students to 21st century jobs, delivering millions of dollars to Sacramento area schools in the first round of funding. Since assuming office in December 2016, Steinberg has made economic development, addressing homelessness and providing year-round paid internships to Sacramento’s high school students through a new initiative, Thousand Strong, the cornerstone of his administration. In his short time in office, Steinberg has already positioned Sacramento to as potentially the first 5G city in the nation through a new public-private partnership with Verizon. Additionally, he has utilized his state experience and relationships to secure $64 million for homeless services and over $2 million to support Thousand Strong. He is just getting started. Steinberg graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a BA in economics, then earned a Juris Doctorate from UC Davis Law School. He went on to serve as an employee rights attorney for the California State Employees Association for 10 years before his work as an Administrative Law Judge and mediator. Steinberg served on the Sacramento City Council from 1992 to 1998, and as an Assemblymember from 1999 to 2004. Steinberg and his wife, Julie, have two children – a daughter, Jordana, and a son, Ari.

As chancellor of one of the world’s great public research universities, Gary S. May leads UC Davis as it advances its mission in several key areas, including: Achieving equal access to education and opportunity for students of all backgrounds Building diversity and nurturing success among students, faculty and staff Deepening the university’s engagement with Sacramento, Davis and the surrounding region Conducting useful research and outstanding scholarship in areas of critical need to California, the nation and the world May became UC Davis’ seventh chancellor on Aug. 1, 2017 by appointment of the UC Board of Regents. He leads the most comprehensive campus in the University of California system, with four colleges and six professional schools that offer 104 undergraduate majors and 96 graduate and professional degrees. UC Davis enrolls about 37,000 students, brings in nearly $800 million annually in sponsored research and contributes at least $8 billion to the California economy each year. An accomplished scholar and engineer, May came to UC Davis from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where he had been for nearly three decades, most recently as dean of the institute’s College of Engineering — the largest and most diverse school of its kind in the nation, with 450 faculty and 13,000 students. Prior to being dean, May was the Steve W. Chaddick Chair of Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and previous to that, he was the executive assistant to Georgia Tech President G. Wayne Clough. May is known as a dynamic leader with a passion for helping others succeed. He believes success is best judged by “the extent you enhance the lives of others.” Throughout his career, he has championed diversity in both higher education and the workplace. He developed and led programs to attract, mentor and retain underrepresented women and ethnic minorities in STEM — the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. In 2015, President Obama honored him with the Presidential Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring. May has won numerous research awards for his work in computer-aided manufacturing of integrated circuits and other devices. He has authored more than 200 technical publications, contributed to 15 books and holds a patent in this topic. In 2010, he was named “outstanding engineering alumnus” of UC Berkeley, where he earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. A native of St. Louis, May is married to LeShelle R. May, a software engineer, and they have two daughters, Simone and Jordan, who are in college.

Barry Broome serves as the first President and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. The organization is the catalyst for innovative growth strategies in the Capital Region of California. Barry is responsible for leading community-driven efforts to retain, attract, grow, and scale new businesses; develop advanced industries; and guide new job-creation strategies throughout a six-county region. In his role, he has established the first-ever public/private partnership economic development organization in the State of California; the organization comprises 37 CEO’s and 19 communities in the Greater Sacramento region. Previously, Barry was the President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) where he delivered more than 50,000 jobs and 250 company locates into the Phoenix Region. Under his leadership, for six out of the ten years, GPEC was named one of the top economic organizations in North America by Site Selection Magazine. In 2013 he was also named Arizona Economic Developer of the Year, Arizona Real Estate Executive of the Year, and received the Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce award. Prior to Arizona, Barry was the CEO of Southwest Michigan First (SMF), where he built an organization from scratch that was later listed in the Top 20 companies in North America by Site Selection Magazine. In 2006, SMF was named one of the fast 50 companies in Inc. Magazine, the first nonprofit to have that honor. Barry built and co-developed venture funds, angel networks, and 31 new ventures – primarily in the life science space in the Kalamazoo region. Barry was named Michigan Economic Developer of the Year in 2001. Preceding Michigan, Barry led the economic development in Toledo, Ohio, where he completed the largest industrial deal in the history of the United States called Project Jeep; which was built on 450 acres of brownfields in the North Central Toledo area. Barry was also the keynote speaker at Arizona State University’s 2009 graduation and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Chicago, Notre Dame, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Kalamazoo College, and Western Michigan University.

Doug serves as Wexford’s West Region Executive and Senior Vice President of Development. In his role, he is chartered with developing and executing projects that create and expand Wexford Knowledge Communities in the Midwest and West regions. Doug brings over 30 years of experience in real estate development and finance, including development management, stakeholder advisory, construction oversight, and financial structuring. Prior to joining Wexford, Doug was CEO of Downtown STL, Inc. a public-private partnership focused on economic development in downtown St. Louis. Doug’s previous experience includes consulting with Knowledge Community stakeholders, including the Cortex Innovation District and Washington University in St. Louis. From 1985 to 2007, Doug was employed at Bank of America where he held several company-wide leadership positions at the bank, including President of the Community Development Banking Group and President of the Franchise Banking Group. Doug currently serves on the Advisory Board of the George Warren Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a former board member of the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, the Local Initiative Support Corporation and the St. Louis Equity Fund.

Jack serves as a Division Vice President based in Sacramento and oversees Whiting-Turner’s operating groups in the Sacramento, CA and Northern Nevada regions. He pioneered Whiting-Turner’s full time presence as a premier builder in the Sacramento region when he opened their regional office there in 2006, growing steadily ever since. He joined Whiting-Turner immediately after earning his degree in Civil Engineering from Penn State University. Jack has over 28 years of experience with Whiting-Turner, having delivered a wide variety of projects in a multitude of industries and markets, with a focus on highly collaborative project delivery and technical projects including life sciences and healthcare.

Since joining ZGF in 1989, Ted Hyman has taken responsibility for many of the firm’s most challenging and technologically complex projects, encompassing a broad range of academic and research facilities, hospitals, courthouses, and other civic buildings nationally. He has played a key role in guiding the development of the firm, and in January 2014, he was named Managing Partner and now oversees the firm’s strategic and overall performance. As a LEED AP®, he has a particular passion for sustainability, and played a key role in the design of a number of the greenest buildings in the United States, including the J. Craig Venter Institute La Jolla, which has achieved LEED Platinum® and was designed as the first net-zero energy biological laboratory in the world and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Headquarters, also LEED Platinum® and net-zero energy. He continues to share his strategies and approach to creating innovative solutions with the professional community at national and international conferences, and remains involved in various committees with the American Institute of Architects. In 2016, Ted was one of a handful of U.S. architects invited to participate in a historic forum in China to address China’s commitment to signing the Paris Agreement and establishing Zero-Net Carbon (ZNC) as a necessary and achievable goal for buildings and developments.

“A vital and dynamic team leader, Megan Hardman was instrumental in establishing AEI San Francisco’s Building Performance Practice — extending a core firm service to the West Coast while building our national footprint. As Principal, Megan collaborates and inspires passion within her team to guide and assist clients in achieving holistic, tangible goals around carbon reduction, energy, water, and cost savings. She also serves as a department facilitator, project manager and mechanical engineer with extensive expertise in the analysis, design, and engineering of complex mechanical systems supporting science and technology, healthcare, and higher education spaces. Providing thought leadership through building performance simulation and unparalleled knowledge in the areas of sustainable design, energy efficiency, and LEED certification criteria, Megan continuously delivers successful project outcomes featuring innovative energy and water conservation measures.”

Career spent in discovering and developing products made by microbes, and optimizing production to enable commercialization. Background in chemical engineering, fermentation, and process development. Passionate about bringing products to market that are better for the consumer and better for the world, by full leveraging both biology and chemistry in tandem. Knowledgeable about infrastructure needs in the short and long term for the life sciences sector as it relates to bioproducts.

Michael has 27+ years of leadership and electrical engineering experience. He emphasizes a complete sustainable design approach on all projects, taking the lead in developing the most efficient, cost effective and practical solutions.

As an architect and leader for DLR Group’s Science+Technology team, Dave advocates for the scientists, researchers, engineers, and others who use laboratory environments. His breadth of experience ranges from tailored laboratory planning for biopharmaceuticals to advising developers on market-driven approaches for speculative life science suites. Among others, he delivers laboratory solutions for federal and local government crime, metrology, electromagnetic measurement, and cancer research labs. Dave is fueled by his passion to provide meaningful impacts in his clients' relentless pursuit of the next big idea, often for the betterment of humanity. He and his team believe these individuals deserve spaces that support their amazing aspirations.

Dan McGill is a Partner at Blue Rise Ventures and is responsible for asset management, new business and capital partner relationships. Mr. McGill has over 20 years of commercial experience, including his most recent prior role at Sares Regis Group where he led the development of a 750,000 sq ft, new corporate headquarters in Santa Clara. Prior to Sares Regis, Mr. McGill held positions at Apple, Hines Interests, and Jones Lang LaSalle. He is LEED GA certified and earned a Masters in Real Estate Development from MIT and a Bachelor of Sciences from Vanderbilt University. He lives in Orinda with his wife and two girls and enjoys skiing, lacrosse, and playing board games with his family.

Peter is a member of a Transwestern team that assists clients in every stage of the real estate process including: Real estate leasing or disposing of facility leases; providing strategic, long-term planning via portfolio analysis, site selection and employee location consulting. We excel in assisting early, mid and late stage funded start-ups in managing growth in terms of cost analysis with the goal of increasing their bottom line. Additionally, Peter is the Bay Area head of Transwestern's BioTech Advisory Group, leading the company's efforts in life science and biotech office and laboratory disposition, having years of professional lab experience with the USDA and public/private cancer research departments before working in brokerage. He is also a LEED® Accredited Professional, and member of the United States Green Building Council, helping to merge green building and leasing practices into commercial real estate.

Rob is an architect and Principal with HOK, based in the San Francisco studio. As Regional Leader of Science and Technology, Rob oversees projects between San Francisco and Seattle in the private and public sector, ranging from tenant improvements to new ground-up speculative and build-to-suit R&D buildings to multi-acre corporate campuses. Clients include biotech and technology companies at every stage of growth from early venture-backed to multi-national Fortune 500s, as well as globally recognized academic research universities. Current projects include the 10x Genomics Operations Building in Pleasanton, The Freenome headquarters in Brisbane, Longfellow’s San Mateo Bay Center in San Mateo and Redwood LIFE in Redwood Shores, BioMed Realty’s Lincoln Centre Phase 2 in Foster City, and UC Berkeley’s Heathcock Hall Chemistry Research Building. Rob lives in Lafayette where you might find him on the sports fields with his 3 children when he’s not rooting for his Cal Bears, 49ers, Giants, or Warriors.