Vandegrift Named to New Jackson Laboratory Post

Date: January 27, 2005

Bar Harbor - Kathy L. Vandegrift of Bar Harbor has been named associate general manager for finance and operations of JAX(R) Research Systems, the Jackson Laboratory division devoted to providing mice and technical services to the worldwide scientific community. 

Vandegrift, currently director of resource finances for the organization, will oversee production of mice, development of breeding services in Bar Harbor and at Jax(R) West (the Laboratory's production facility in West Sacramento, Calif.), and materials supply and logistics. She will also be responsible for financial reporting and control for the resources unit of The Jackson Laboratory, and will oversee production planning and development of the JMS enterprise resource planning system.

In making the announcement, Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D., vice president and chief operating officer of The Jackson Laboratory, observed, "Kathy has played a key role in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the laboratory's mouse supply mission. She's an effective and respected leader who is known for her commitment to the Lab and her ability to work with others as a team player. She gets things done and inspires others to adopt new strategies to enhance productivity." According to Hewett, "Kathy's tight with a dollar, but even more eager to invest in new approaches when she sees the opportunity for improvement and return."

Of taking on her new responsibilities, Vandegrift commented, "I am totally committed to the overall mission of The Jackson Laboratory and am delighted to have the opportunity to play a larger role in making our mice available to scientists around the world while contributing to the surplus that makes it possible for our own faculty to do world-leading research here. I appreciate the contributions of the entire JRS team in improving its performance over the past two years and look forward to continuing to work with my teammates in this challenging position."

Vandegrift's appointment is part of a reorganization strategy for the top leadership of JRS. An associate general manager for product development, marketing and customer service will be appointed shortly. Both associate general managers will report to VP and COO Hewett, who will hold the additional title of JRS general manager.

With more than 1,300 employees and a budget of $130 million, the 75-year-old Jackson Laboratory is one of Maine's largest employers. Its 465-person research staff investigates the genetic basis of cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, diabetes and many other human diseases and disorders. The Jax(R) Research Systems division provides genetic resources and services to biomedical researchers around the world. The Laboratory is also home of the Mouse Genome Database and many other publicly available information resources, and is an international hub for scientific courses, conferences, training and education-including programs for Maine primary school, high school, college and graduate students.

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Contact(s): Joyce Peterson, 207-288-6058, joyce@jax.org

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