Jim Register has announced his intention to retire and step down from his role as President and CEO of BioConnect Iowa. BioConnect Iowa is the state’s public-private partnership for economic development in Iowa’s targeted bioscience platforms and will continue to focus on growing these platforms as well as administering the state’s SBIR/STTR Outreach program and leading the Iowa Go-To-Market (G2M) program.
Register believes the time is right for this transition. “I believe both BioConnect Iowa as an organization as well as the State’s bioscience initiative have made significant progress over the past three years and as I look ahead, I feel the organization is now positioned to benefit from new leadership with a long-term focus.”
During his tenure at BioConnect Iowa, Jim led the growth and development of the bioscience ecosystems at the Iowa State University and the University of Iowa and launched the $1.29 million Iowa G2M program, funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build to Scale program. Additionally, he helped to increase legislative funding dedicated toward biosciences research, technology transfer and workforce development, which are now at their highest levels since the biosciences study was issued.
Paul Schickler, BioConnect Iowa board chair, thanks Jim for his contributions, stating, “In his 3 years leading BioConnect Iowa, Jim has improved its operations, strengthened the relationships with Iowa State University, University of Iowa and the IEDA, broadened the support provided to the startup community and envisioned additional opportunities for the future.”
A search for his replacement will commence in the coming days, and a job description can be found here. Jim will stay on to assist with the transition and continue his services until a replacement has been found.