Dive Brief:
- Travis McCready was named Head of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center on Tuesday by Gov. Charlie Baker (R-MA). He is the second person to hold the position.
- McCready will earn $230,000 per year in his position as Head of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
- McCready was previously VP at the Boston Foundation, and before that he was the Executive Director of the Kendall Square Association.
Dive Insight:
In 2014, employment in the life science industry in Massachusetts grew by 4.9%—the highest rate of growth since 2008, when former Gov. Deval Patrick (D) enacted a $1 billion, 10-year plan to boost the life science/biotech sector—the Massachusetts Life Science Law. Part of bolstering the life sciences sector in MA. was through the establishment of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.
McCready comes to his new job with many years of experience in Boston and in leadership positions. His position at the 100-year-old Boston Foundation, which is the largest public charity and largest grantmaker in New England, provided him with a chance to influence high-impact philanthropy, network with many influential leaders and interact with the local and national business communities, as well as a vast network of non-profits.
Prior to that, he was at the helm of the Kendall Square Association. Kendall Square, which is the home of MIT, is also the current hot-spot for biotech and pharma companies, with a longstanding history of bolstering collaborative relationships betwen academia and biopharma companies.