Southern Oregon Bioscience Industry Consortium (SOBIC)
Representing the Bioscience Industry throughout southern Oregon.
In association with the Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA).
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Minutes of Meeting – Monday, April 27, 2009
Location: ScienceWorks, 1500 East Main Street, Ashland, OR - 3 – 5 PM.
ScienceWorks has offered to allow SOBIC to hold its quarterly meetings and events in ScienceWorks on an ongoing basis. OBA / SOBIC wishes to thank ScienceWorks for making our meeting venue possible.
SOBIC would like to say ‘thank you’ to Brent Pearson and Seth Parks of the Bank of the Cascades for sponsoring the Spring Quarter Meeting of SOBIC by providing refreshments during the meeting.
Attending: Industry
Microstein (2)
StrawJet (1)
TreeStar (3)
Institutional
SOU Career Development Center (1)
Oregon Economic Community Development Department (OECDD) (1)
Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI) (1)
Service Providers:
Wells Fargo Bank (1)
A reporter from the Ashland Daily Tidings was on hand to report to the public on the meeting and KDRV News 12 did a three minute piece on the 11:00 pm edition of the April 27, 2009 news: Bioscience among Oregon's fastest growing industries (http://kdrv.com/page/112053)
Purpose of the meeting: to gather together southern Oregon bioscience industry leaders to identify, discuss and address common industry related concerns. The focus of this meeting was on workforce development opportunities and to discuss possible grant funding needs of participants to aid in the development of grant writing assistance program presently being developed by OBA. Time for Networking among industry members and institutional participants is always an opportunity at SOBIC gatherings.
Topics discussed:
Workforce Development: SOBIC has had discussions with the Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council (RVWDC) and is presently preparing a proposal to bring a core group of courses from the OBA / BioPro Workforce Training Program to southern Oregon. This proposal will address not only training opportunities for incumbent workers presently employed by bioscience companies but also offer training opportunities for workers recently displaced due to job loss as a result of the recent economic slowdown.
Grant writing assistance program: OBA has in development a program which will bring together qualified professional grant writers familiar with various bioscience sector grants to assist OBA members in understanding, preparation, submission and facilitation of various funding opportunities from many funding sources. Grant opportunities are at this time ‘unprecedented’ in availability and many companies are unfamiliar with grant writing process and facilitation of grants once received. The OBA grant writing assistance program will address these opportunities for OBA member organizations.
Other concerns and comments:
The possibility of OBA/SOBIC to address insurance coverage for member companies who would like to provide internships and practicum’s was raised. Most insurance companies (including SAIF) will not cover interns unless the interns are hired on as employees of the company offering the internship. It was asked if OBA could arrange for insurance coverage for member companies who would like to offer internships.
Meeting debrief (outcome): Workforce development continues to be a primary concern throughout the state of Oregon. SOBIC, working in concert with OBA, the Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council and regional educational institutions, will look to bring workforce development opportunities in the biosciences to southern Oregon.
Funding opportunities from grants resulting from the new Administration’s stimulus plan is providing ‘unprecedented’ opportunities for bioscience companies and institutions to obtain funds for growth and development especially in the areas of health care and renewable energies. These funding opportunities are especially applicable when it comes to job creation in the bioscience.
Action plan: sequence of events & follow on:
Next Meeting proposed for July 2009
Please support our Sponsors; ScienceWorks Hands On Museum and Bank of the Cascades
Photos from April 27, 2009 meeting
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December 2008 Minutes pending posting
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Minutes of Meeting – Thursday, April 24, 2008
Location: Southern Oregon University, Sciences Bldg, Room 171, Ashland, OR 3 – 5 PM
SOBIC would like to say ‘thank you’ to Southern Oregon University, Dr. Mary Cullinan, President; the SOU Collage of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Josie Wilson, Acting Dean; the SOU Career Development Center, Peter Weston, Director; the SOU School of Business, Dr. René Ordoñez, Chair and the SOU Biotechnology Research Center for hosting the Spring Quarter Meeting of SOBIC.
Attending: Industry
Adam Treister Tree Star
Roy Garvin Microstein
James Akse & Tom Williams Umpqua Research
Chris Byrne Strawjet
Mike Robinson & Jon Strauss Diode Laser Concepts
Jim Mau & Erin Martin SOBIC
Institutional
Lee Lanphier, RV Workforce Development Council
Charlie Mitchell SOREDI
Josie Wilson, Acting Dean SOU/CAS
Peter Weston, Director SOU Career Development
René Ordoñez, Jon Harbaugh & Meredith Reynolds SOU School of Business
David Oline & Karen Stone SOU Biology
Peter Wu & Ellen Siem SOU Physics
John Kloetzel U. of MD Prof Biology (Retired)
Students SOU Physics
Purpose of the meeting: to gather together southern Oregon bioscience industry leaders to identify, discuss and address common industry related concerns. The focus of this meeting was on workforce development opportunities and networking among industry members and institutional participants. Secondarily, to offer industry participants the opportunity to tour the SOU Biotechnology Research Center, meet the staff and faculty and to use the opportunity to discuss possible collaborations.
Topics discussed:
Organizational structure – SOBIC is in the process of forming as a committee under the Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA). This will allow SOBIC to take advantage of OBA’s 501 status for financial matters as well as OBA’s industry and legislative connections. A Committee Charter has been drafted and forwarded to OBA for review.
Membership in SOBIC: While dues will not be required for those who wish to participate in SOBIC, membership in OBA is highly encouraged as a major portion of the dues paid to OBA by local participants will be returned to SOBIC to help cover operational costs. SOBIC participants who join OBA will, of course, be entitled to all benefits afforded to OBA members.
Workforce Development:
Lee Lanphier, Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council, commented on the outlook for future workforce in southern Oregon and explained developments regarding the Power Up* Academy and the workforce courses that would be offered, how these courses would benefit employers as well as employees and help to improve workforce in southern Oregon in general. OBA is presently engaged in a number of workforce development programs in the Portland area. SOBIC/OBA is currently discussing with the Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council as to how some of these programs can be integrated into workforce development programs in and around the Rogue Valley.
*Power Up: identifying the benefits of clustering, collaborating and investing to regional business consortia who require a better pool of potential skilled recruits through work-ready education and training development.
Notes from Bob Lanier, Executive Director of Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA) stated the Central Oregon BIC (COBIC) near Bend had its first formal meeting on Wednesday April 23 and that the Willamette Valley (WVBIC) was continuing its efforts to form. All three Bioscience Industry Consortia will be forming as committees under OBA following a similar format and working together in efforts to develop the biosciences throughout Oregon.
After the meeting, David Oline, Associate Professor of Biology, SOU, provided a tour demonstrating the capabilities of the SOU Biotechnology Research Center. Industry executives had the opportunity to meet faculty, preview the facility and discuss possible collaborative opportunities.
Other concerns and comments:
Cost of real estate and construction, a need for funding opportunities and transportation costs of goods were again raised as other concerns.
Meeting debrief (outcome): Workforce development continues to be a primary concern throughout the state of Oregon. SOBIC, working in concert with OBA, the Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council and regional educational institutions, will look to bring workforce development opportunities in the biosciences to southern Oregon.
Action plan: sequence of events & follow on:
Photos from the April 24 Meeting
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Minutes of Meeting - January 24, 2008
Location: Southern Oregon University, Stevenson Student Union, Room 319, Ashland, OR 3 – 5 PM
Present: Industry
Mike Robinson, Diode Laser Concepts
Dean Cropper, Cropper Medical, BioSkin
Joyce Steinbock, BioMed Diagnostics
Adam Treister, Tree Star
Susan Alderson, Tree Star
Eric Schaafsma, Grants Pass Water Laboratory
Peter Finkle, Yerba Prima
Jill Schoenfeld, Microbiologist
Jim Mau, Bioscience Industry Development
Institutional
Bob Lanier, Executive Director, OBA
Larry Holzgang, OECDD
Lee Lanphier, Lanphier Associates
Edwin Battistella, Interim Provost, SOU
Peter Weston, SOU Career Development
David Oline, Associate Professor, Biology, SOU
Purpose of the meeting: to gather together southern Oregon bioscience industry leaders to identify, discuss and address common industry related concerns. The primary focus of this meeting was on workforce development and networking among industry members and institutional guests.
Topics discussed:
Organizational structure – how we are going to do this. Initially, to keep it simple and get started quickly and as affordable as possible, SOBIC will form as a committee under the Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA). This will allow SOBIC to take advantage of OBA’s 501 status for financial matters as well as OBA’s industry and legislative connections. OBA is presently engaged in a number of workforce development programs in the Portland area that SOBIC should be able to replicate here in the southland.
Workforce Development: Discussion of workforce survey results, Q&A of concerns with institutional guests (work force development, education and training, small business development, business and collaborative opportunities, etc.).
Lee Lanphier, Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council, discussed the outlook for future workforce in southern Oregon and Power Up* emphasizing the need for companies with related workforce requirements to come together in a collective manner to address those concerns. Lee made it very clear that companies who join together as a consortium to address future changes in not only their workforce requirements but of those required of the workforce will be the ones which survive. Those that do not address these changes in a collective manner will perish for lack of workforce.
*Power Up: identifying the benefits of clustering, collaborating and investing to regional business consortia who require a better pool of potential skilled recruits through work-ready education and training development.
Larry Holzgang, OECDD, addressed the role of OECDD and SOREDI in assisting local and regional economic development and emphasized their greater ability to work with an industry consortium rather than individual businesses. Larry reinforced comments made by Lee Lanphier regarding future changes to address in workforce in the region.
Bob Lanier, Executive Director of Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA) spoke on the importance of forming SOBIC. Bob stated that doing so would give SOBIC access to programs already in place to address workforce development as well as others. He applauded SOBIC for spearheading the concept of Bioscience Industry Consortia in Oregon stating that two other consortia where also forming, one near Bend, the Central Oregon BIC (COBIC) and one in the Willamette Valley (WVBIC).
Edwin Battistella, Interim Provost, SOU Peter Weston, SOU Career Development David Oline, Associate Professor, Biology, SOU expressed the willingness and support of SOU in addressing workforce development programs at the university level. Peter Weston discussed the career development program at SOU and the upcoming career fair in May. David Oline discussed the ‘state of the art’ capabilities of the SOU Biotechnology Center and its commitment to quality and knowledgeable students.
Networking – participants took the opportunity during the last hour of the meeting to meet other industry members and institutional guests to exchange business card and discuss collaborative opportunities.
KDRV 12 Local News came by to cover the meeting and a short piece was aired on the 11:00 News.
Other concerns and comments:
Cost of real estate and construction, lack of cooperation by real estate, banking and construction industries was again mentioned as concerns. Developing local banking and capital sources for industry growth would be helpful.
Meeting debrief (outcome): the take home message from this meeting is for industry affiliates to recognized the changing face of the workforce and that it is up to us as an industry consortium to collectively address the development of that workforce. For the biosciences as an industry to grow in southern Oregon, an area already slim on qualified employees, working together in a collaborative effort with federal, state and local workforce development and educational institutions is vital to our existence. Industry affiliates are asked to consider deeply their future workforce issues and the time and financial commitments they are willing to make towards the issue of workforce development. This would also mean considering the consequences of not addressing this issue as a part of any future business planning.
Action plan: sequence of events & follow on
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Minutes of Meeting - November 2, 2007
Location: BioMed Diagnostics, White City, OR
Present:
Bob Lanier, Executive Director, OBA
Bob Hall, BioMed Diagnostics
Joyce Steinbock, BioMed Diagnostics
Ron Fox, Executive Director, SOREDI
Jessica Gomez, Rogue Valley Microdevices
Roy Garvin, Microstein
Alasdair Burns, Microstein
Richard Walsh, Green Fuels
Jim Mau, Bioscience Industry Development
Purpose of the meeting: to gather together Southern Oregon bioscience industry leaders to identify, discuss and address common industry related concerns.
Most common concerns: funding, quality of workforce (including childcare), education
Dates of Interest:
November 14, 2007 - meeting of Jefferson Grapevine (entrepreneur / capital investor gathering).
November 19, 2007 – various industry consortia meeting, Medford, OR
Topics discussed:
Funding:
State and local resources: inquires can be made to SOREDI and OBA.
Private: Jefferson Grapevine.
Work Force:
Power Up (Ron Fox): raising up exceptional entry level employees to become the best they can be, prescreening of potential employees to facilitate identifying positive employee hires.
Trailing Spouse issues (Ron Fox): development of a program that would assist the trailing spouse of a potentially relocated employee in finding suitable local employment.
Comments:
“Biggest constraint to growth is Rogue Valley is lack of skilled workers”. Jessica Gomez (agreed to by Bob Hall).
Other concerns and comments:
Cost of real estate and construction.
Lack of cooperation by real estate, banking and construction industries.
Banks strictly “deposit driven”.
Oregon taxes do not provide for effective curriculum grades K – 12 nor higher education except at corporate research driven universities in northern Oregon.
Employers are not reaching out to Latino community as workers (who are very capable).
Oregon state and local government programs exceptional in assisting new and emerging bioscience companies given limitations of authority and funding.
Brief discussion regarding Table Rock Technical Center and high school programs integrated with RCC and SOU.
Meeting debrief (outcome): the consensus of the group was to form a consortium to identify, represent & pursue resolution to common concerns, to focus on priorities and the importance of leveraging as a group and to attract more companies to the group. SOREDI cannot support as well individual companies but can work very effectively with an industry consortium. Ron Fox encouraged continued development of the group to accomplish a pragmatic outcome.
Action plan: sequence of events & follow on
© 2007 - 2009
Updated: May 6, 2009