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Gov. Gregoire names first chair of Life Sciences Discovery Fund

For Immediate Release: June 29, 2005

OLYMPIA � June 29, 2005 � Gov. Christine Gregoire has appointed Dr. Lura Powell to chair the Life Sciences Discovery Fund Authority, the centerpiece of the governor�s groundbreaking plan to establish Washington as a leader in scientific research and development.

At an event Tuesday at the Battelle Seattle Research Center, the governor also announced that Shan Mullin will chair a fundraising committee that will be responsible for attracting private contributions to the discovery fund. The fund, expected to have a $1 billion total impact, will receive $350 million in Strategic Tobacco Settlement Funds in 2008.

Powell and Mullin were co-chairs of the Bio21 report, which helped build the case for the Life Sciences Discovery Fund � one of Gregoire�s top priorities for the 2005 legislative session and a key element in her economic development strategy.

�Lura has a range of experiences that make her the perfect addition to an effort like the Life Science Discovery Fund,� Gregoire said in announcing the appointments. �And I�m looking forward to working with Shan and others to raise foundation funds to begin building the legacy that this fund can represent.�

Powell, of Richland, is president and chief executive officer of Advanced Imaging Technologies. She is the former director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and former senior vice-president of Battelle.

Mullin is a partner in Perkins Coie, a Seattle law firm. He is the past chair of the board of trustees for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the Trade Development Alliance.

The legislation creating the Life Sciences Discovery Fund includes establishing a board of trustees to oversee its investments. The governor will appoint seven members and four have been appointed by the Legislature. They are Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown; Senate Minority Leader Bill Finkbeiner; chair of the House Technology Committee, Jeff Morris; and the ranking minority member on the House Judiciary Committee, Skip Priest.

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