Director of The Year Honorees

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Mark Foletta

Bio to come!

ENHANCEMENT OF ECONOMIC VALUE

Jay B. Lichter, PhD

Jay B. Lichter, PhD, serves as Managing Director, Avalon Ventures and President & CEO, COI Pharmaceuticals. He is an experienced biotechnology and pharmaceutical business executive with over 25 years of experience in management, scientific research, and business development.  Throughout his career, Dr. Lichter has applied his exceptional combination of business acumen and deep technical knowledge to creating commercially successful biotech companies and identifying the commercial potential of scientific discoveries at their earliest stages.  Dr. Lichter is the inventor on over 260 patents and patent applications for several Avalon portfolio companies, including more than 60 issued patents. Dr. Lichter has been either directly responsible for or participated in licensing or merger and acquisition deals valued in excess of $3 billion.

Dr. Lichter led Avalon XI investments in Fortis Therapeutics and T-Rx and led Avalon X investments in AristaMD, Otonomy (NASDAQ: OTIC), SynthoRx, as well as the following investments in Sitari, Silarus, Thyritope, CadheRx, Adrenergics, Calporta, Iron Horse & PDI as part of the $495 MM strategic collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline.  Dr. Lichter led Avalon investments in Afraxis, Carolus, Otonomy, Zacharon, RQx, Sova and Aratana (NASDAQ: PETX).  He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Avelas, AristaMD, SynthoRx, COI Pharmaceuticals, Otonomy, Fortis Therapeutics, T-Rx and Sova.

Dr. Lichter held postdoctoral positions in Human Genetics at Yale University and pharmacogenetics at DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. Dr. Lichter obtained his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a B.S. from the Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

EMERGING BOARD LEADER

Sabrina Martucci Johnson

Sabrina Martucci Johnson is a life sciences executive with a record of achievement in capital formation, business development, and commercial leadership.  Highlights from her 25+ year career include equity raises, a business development deal sheet comprised of in-license, out-license, and M&A, and executing numerous successful product launches.   Sabrina’s unique background spans finance, global marketing, product development and bench research.

Sabrina is committed to advancing innovations in women’s health. She is the Founder and CEO of DARÉ Bioscience (NASDAQ:DARE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company driven by a mission to identify, develop and bring to market a diverse portfolio of novel therapies that expand treatment options, improve outcomes and facilitate convenience for women.  Prior to founding DARÉ, Sabrina was President of WomanCare Global Trading, a global provider of women’s health products, CFO/CAO of the California Institute for Biomedical Research, CFO/COO of Cypress Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ:CYPB), held marketing and sales positions with Advanced Tissue Sciences, and began her career in the biotechnology industry as a research scientist with Baxter Healthcare, Hyland Division, working on the recombinant factor VIII program.

Sabrina serves on the boards of Daré Bioscience and Aethlon Medical (NASDAQ:AEMD).  In the community Sabrina serves on the board of the Clearity Foundation, BIOCOM, Tulane University School of Science & Engineering Board of Advisors, and Project Concern International Audit Committee, and previously served on the boards of the YWCA San Diego, PPPSW and Athena San Diego.  Sabrina has been recognized as an entrepreneurial leader: Corporate Directors Forum San Diego Director of the Year in the Emerging Board Leader category (2019), Xconomy San Diego CEO finalist (2019), Ernst&Young Entrepreneur of the Year San Diego finalist in the Life Sciences category (2018), San Diego Business Journal Top 500 (2018), Athena Pinnacle Award Start-Up (2018), Athena Pinnacle Award Life Sciences Leader (2017), and the Moxie Award (2017).

Sabrina has a Master of International Management with honors from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird); a MSc. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of London, University College London; and a BSc. in Biomedical Engineering from Tulane University, magna cum laude.

COMPANIES IN TRANSITION

Daniel J. Wolterman

Daniel J. Wolterman has served as a director on the NuVasive, Inc. Board of Directors since July 2015.   Mr. Wolterman served as President and CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System, from 2002 until his retirement from Memorial Hermann in 2016.  Memorial Hermann Health System is the largest not-for-profit health system in Southeast Texas with 247 sites of care, $6 billion in revenue, and 24,500 employees. Dan has more than 38 years of experience in the healthcare industry and a long history of community involvement.  Mr. Wolterman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science degree in healthcare administration from Xavier University.  Mr. Wolterman has been inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame and received Lifetime Achievement awards from the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Hospital Association.  Dan had previously served on the Board of Directors of Volcano, Inc. and InVuity, Inc. and currently serves on the Board of Directors of  two privately-held companies Vizient, Inc. and Intuitive ER & Urgent Care Centers, Inc..  Mr. Wolterman is married to Lori Genitempo Wolterman and they have three children named Daniel (29), Savannah (24), and Linleigh (21).

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: NOT-FOR-PROFIT

Lori Moore

EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE CAREER

Lori has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years. She graduated as a Licensed Vocational Nurse from Maric College and earned her Registered Nursing degree from Saddleback College. She began her nursing career at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Lori has also worked for Saddleback Hospital, Villa Pomerado and Pomerado Hospital and spent two years working for a nursing registry and assisted many hospitals in the San Diego area. Her nursing experience has spanned a variety of specialties, including Medical/Surgical, Respiratory, Maternity, ICU, Skilled Nursing, and Gerontology.

SHARP HEALTHCARE

Lori has had a life-long relationship with Sharp HealthCare, an integrated health care system that serves more than 1 million San Diegans a year and is San Diego’s largest private employer. She was born at Sharp, and her lifelong passion for the healthcare profession began following her Grandpa John Miller’s death when she was 14 years old.  Lori became a Candy Striper at Sharp Memorial Hospital, and she played a special part in the care of her remaining grandparents and extended family. Lori and her family have been supporting Sharp in various ways for over seven decades.

Lori has been a Sharp Hospice volunteer since 2011 and specializes in their Eleventh-Hour Program. She incorporates her skill as a Level 2 Reiki Healer in her hospice work. She also enjoys bringing her service dog, Roxy, along to help provide comfort to the families she works with.

Lori is serving her ninth year on the Sharp HealthCare Board of Directors, where she is the current Board Chair and first nurse to hold this position.  She also participates on Audit and Compliance, Advocacy, Compensation, Executive, Finance, Quality & Safety Committees, and is an ex-officio Director of Sharp HealthCare Foundation. She has previously served as Treasurer on the Sharp Memorial Hospital Board, has participated on the board of the Continuous Quality Insurance Corporation since 2011 and is a member of the Sharp Mesa Vista Philanthropy Council.

One of the most critical initiatives that Lori was instrumental in developing is a system-wide set of philanthropic expectations for Board Directors. With more than 160 individuals serving on Boards across the system, Lori’s efforts of placing philanthropy as a strategic priority has been transformational.

BUSINESS OWNER

Lori is a long-time Director at Cush Enterprises. She and her sister are Co-Managers of their company, Selma Investments, a commercial real estate company named in memory of their Great Grandmother, Selma Moore.  Lori is the active property manager and oversees leasing and construction for Cush Plaza Scripps Ranch, a 93,000 sq. ft. office building as well as other real estate holdings.  Lori is also Director of Advertising and Marketing for Grossmont Center.  Lori manages several investment accounts, a skill she learned from her grandfather, Elliott Cushman.

PERSONAL

Lori is a fifth-generation San Diegan and is the proud daughter of Marjorie and Stephen Cushman. She adores her two grown children, Trevor and Keely, who both live and work in San Diego.  In her spare time, Lori enjoys live music, cooking, traveling, paddle boarding, scuba diving, kayaking, deep-sea fishing and is grateful for the cherished moments with her family and friends.

PHILANTHROPHY

Lori’s family has a giving culture; her Grandpa used to say you should give at least 50% of your time back to your community.  Following in that tradition, Lori makes time for causes she is passionate about and is also involved with the family foundation.  From early on, when the family donated the land under Grossmont Hospital to now as the Cushman Foundation, the family has quietly been making a difference for San Diego.  Currently, Lori is Vice President of the foundation which, for more than 30 years, has been providing support to the areas of healthcare, senior services, homelessness, food insecurities, human trafficking, children in need, military and veteran assistance programs and people with disabilities.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Mike Grey

Mike Grey is founder and Executive Chairman of Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and executive chair of Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Reneo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Spruce Biosciences, Inc., private biotechnology companies.  He also serves as venture partner at Pappas Capital.  Previously he founded and was president and chief executive officer at Lumena Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company developing treatments for pediatric and adult orphan diseases, until its acquisition by Shire plc.

Mike has 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and has held senior positions at a number of companies, including president and chief executive officer of Auspex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., president and chief executive officer of SGX Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2008, president and chief executive officer of Trega Biosciences, Inc., which was acquired by Lion Bioscience in 2001, and president of BioChem Therapeutic Inc. For approximately 20 years, Mike served in various roles with Glaxo, Inc. and Glaxo Holdings plc, culminating in his position as vice president, corporate development and head of international licensing.

Mike serves on the board of directors of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., Horizon Pharma plc and Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.

LIFETIME LEGACY

Robert S. Sullivan

Robert S. Sullivan joined the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego as its founding dean in January 2003. Dr. Sullivan is an expert on entrepreneurship, knowledge management, and operations management.

Dr. Sullivan has successfully recruited top-tier faculty, from universities such as the University of Chicago, MIT, New York University, Northwestern, Princeton, Stanford, the Wharton School and Yale. Under Dr. Sullivan’s leadership, the Beyster Institute was integrated with the Rady School, thereby increasing the school’s brand in San Diego and throughout the world. Dr. Sullivan is immediate past Chair of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the premier accrediting body for business education. During Dr. Sullivan’s tenure, the Rady School moved to Otterson Hall in June 2007 and opened the school’s campus expansion, Wells Fargo Hall, in May 2012.

Prior to joining UC San Diego, Dr. Sullivan was dean of the Kenan-Flagler Business School of The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. From 1995 to 1997, Dr. Sullivan served as director of the University of Texas at Austin’s IC2 Institute, a nontraditional international center for research and education on innovation, creativity, capital and commercialization. He held the J. Marion West Chair for Constructive Capitalism in the university’s Graduate School of Business. Dr. Sullivan served as dean of the Graduate School of Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon University from 1991 to 1995. During his tenure, the school’s rankings rose dramatically. He led a reengineering of the school’s educational programs, including integrating advanced technology into the field of finance and creating experiential and international distance-learning opportunities for students.

From 1976 to 1991, Dr. Sullivan served in a variety of posts at the University of Texas, including the Joe B. Cook professor of management and associate dean for research and academic affairs in the Graduate School of Business. He was co-director of the Center for Technology Venturing, director of the Bureau of Business Research and director of the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program in the College of Engineering. Dr. Sullivan was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia from 1968 to 1970, where he worked as a lecturer in production management in the College of Business Administration at Haile Selassie I University in Addis Ababa (now Addis Ababa University).

Dr. Sullivan holds a doctorate in operations management from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in production management and quantitative methods from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Boston College.