Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute - Press Release

Janek and McCall Named Legislators of the Year
Austin –

The Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute (THBI) held its Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas on November 28. The THBI Annual Meeting was a stakeholder forum to review Institute activities and advocacy efforts over the past year. The meeting also allowed THBI to honor two policy-makers vital to the Texas life science landscape.

The highlight of the meeting and luncheon was the presentation to Senator Kyle Janek (R-Galveston) and Representative Brian McCall (R-Plano) of the Institute’s prestigious Legislator of the Year awards. Both legislators represent regions of Texas rich with bioscience activity, and have made significant contributions over their years of public service to maintaining and enhancing the industry.

Representative Brian McCall is currently serving his 9th term in the Texas House of Representatives. A past recipient of the national Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) Legislator of the Year award, Representative McCall has authored policies to promote economic development and help the life science industry grow. Kowalski remarked, “Representative McCall has long been a friend of biotechnology. His ability to look ahead to the impact of policy on an industry with a lengthy commercialization process years from now is remarkable, and we are grateful to have such a staunch supporter.”

“The life science industry in Texas holds the potential to dramatically affect and improve the lives of millions; however, in order to grow and succeed, it must be nurtured and enhanced with supportive policies. Senator Janek and Representative McCall truly exemplify policymakers who craft legislation with extreme care towards future impact on the Texas’ life science industry, and we are honored to hold them up as the 2007 THBI Legislators of the Year.”

The Texas Healthcare and Bioscience Institute is the statewide life science trade association in Texas. With a membership comprised of biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical and agricultural biotech companies, research entities, regional economic development entities, and other businesses providing goods and services to the life science industry, the mission of THBI is to advocate for policies that will help grow the state’s life science industry cluster and maintain a healthy and vibrant life science research and development environment.

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