BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/Phoenix X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Phoenix BEGIN:VEVENT UID:2009@azbio.org DTSTART;TZID=America/Phoenix:20260130T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Phoenix:20260130T110000 DTSTAMP:20260110T121348Z URL:https://www.azbio.org/events/lswc-best-workforce-strategies1 SUMMARY:LSWC Best Workforce Strategies Roundtable: Building the Life Scienc es Workforce of the Future - - 30 Jan 26 10:00 DESCRIPTION:\n \;\n\n \;\nLSWC Best Workforce Strategies Roundtable : Building the Life Sciences Workforce of the Future\n\n\n \;\nDate &a mp\; Time\n\n\nJan 30\, 2026 \n10:00 AM\nREGISTER on Zoom\n\n\n\n\n\nDescr iption\n \;\nThe LSWC is excited to launch its first LSWC Best Workfor ce Strategies Roundtable on January 30 with opening remarks from Caitlin F razer\, Executive Director of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB). Caitlin will share an overview of the Commission ’s workforce recommendations\, recent policy developments\, and insights from NSCEB’s national roadshows. We’ll then hear from NIIMBL and Inno vATEBIO\, two organizations highlighted in the NSCEB report\, who will sha re strategies and lessons shaping the future biomanufacturing workforce.\n \n \;\nSpeakers:\n\n\n \n\nCaitlin Frazer\, Executive Director Nation al Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB)\n\n\nCaitlin Fraz er is the Executive Director of the National Security Commission on Emergi ng Biotechnology. In this capacity\, the leads the staff of the Commission in supporting the Commissioners in advising Congress on policy issues at the intersection of biotechnology\, national security\, and economic compe titiveness. She previously served as Legislative Director to Senator Jon O ssoff (GA)\, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. She stood up t he Office of Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) and served as her chi ef policy advisor as a member of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Co mmittees. Earlier in her career\, Caitlin was National Security Advisor to Senator Bob Casey (PA) and a policy advisor in the State Department’s B ureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. She was a Presidential Managemen t Fellow and holds a BA and MPP from the University of Virginia.\n\n\n\n \n\nLinnea A. Fletcher\, PhD\, \;Principal Investigator\, InnovATEBIO\ n\n\nDr. Linnea A. Fletcher is a nationally recognized leader in biotechno logy education and workforce development. She earned her PhD in Microbiolo gy from The University of Texas at Austin and completed postdoctoral resea rch in Immunology and Biochemistry. Her academic background includes degre es in Biology\, Chemistry\, Biochemistry\, and Microbiology. Dr. Fletcher serves as Principal Investigator on multiple NSF‑funded initiatives\, in cluding the InnovATEBIO National Biotechnology Education Center\, which wa s renewed for an additional five years in 2024. At Austin Community Colleg e she has held leadership roles as Department Chair of Biotechnology\, Ass istant Dean of Math\, Science\, and Business\, and Division Chair of Math\ , Science\, and Technology. In 1999 she founded ACC’s Biotechnology Prog ram and helped establish the national Bio‑Link network. She secured ACC ’s first NSF ATE grant to launch biotechnology programs in Texas high sc hools. From 2008 to 2010 Dr. Fletcher served as a Program Officer at the N ational Science Foundation and contributed to the inaugural Vision and Cha nge meeting on biology education reform. In 2015 she received an Emerging Technology Fund award to create the ACC Bioscience Incubator\, which now s upports startups and provides students with internships and employment opp ortunities. She frequently speaks and consults on topics related to biotec h education\, industry partnerships\, and regional workforce strategy.\n\n \n\n \n\nJohn Balchunas\, \;Director\, Workforce\, National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL)\n\n\nJohn Bal chunas is the Workforce Director for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) where he is responsible for guiding strategy around workforce and talent development for a federally-f unded public private partnership focused on transforming biopharmaceutical manufacturing. John's career has largely centered around biopharma workfo rce and economic development. Prior to NIIMBL\, John was responsible for b usiness development and industry partnership for the professional developm ent program at North Carolina State University’s Biomanufacturing Traini ng and Education Center (BTEC). Prior to BTEC\, John served as the Directo r of Workforce Development for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NC Biotech) for 10 years where he forged an array of partnerships with indust ry to understand and communicate biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce needs. John started his career as a technical writer in the biomanufactur ing and medical diagnostic industries. John holds a Master of Science in T echnical Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Nort h Carolina State University and was selected as a Marano Fellow in the Asp en Institute's 2012-2013 Sector Skills Academy.\n\n\n\nNote: \; AZBio is a founding member of the Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative. \;\ n\n \;\n\n\n CATEGORIES:webinars END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Phoenix X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Phoenix BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20250130T100000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR