LuAnn Ballesteros has been promoted to vice president, external and government affairs, joining The Jackson Laboratory’s senior management team.
In her new role, Ballesteros will shape legislative and policy agendas at federal, state and local levels and lead a team of government relations professionals who are dedicated to advancing policy initiatives, building strategic partnerships, and identifying agency funding sources related to research, biotechnology and health care.
“From her instrumental role in securing passage of a $50 million Maine Research and Development bond in 2016 and a $10 million General Obligation Bond for construction of the JAX Center for Biometric Analysis in Bar Harbor, LuAnn has made a tangible mark on this organization and the broader Maine research community,” said Edison T. Liu, M.D., president and CEO, The Jackson Laboratory. “In her new role, LuAnn will further leverage her skills and expertise to strengthen JAX’s external and government affairs functions around the country.”
Ballesteros joined The Jackson Laboratory in 2005 as a senior development officer, responsible for planning, organizing and implementing individual and corporate philanthropy activities in Maine, Florida, and California. In 2011, she was promoted to director of government affairs, where she helped grow the government relations program. Prior to JAX, Ballesteros held an executive position at Bangor Hydro-Electric Company.
An active participant in the state’s business community and a graduate of the Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine Xi Class, Ballesteros is member of the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce Board and Eastern Maine’s Regional Resource Council.
In January 2016, Governor LePage, Senate President Thibodeau and House Speaker Eves jointly appointed Ballesteros to the Maine Economic Growth Council. Ms. Ballesteros is a member of the Machias Savings Bank Board and has held board positions with the Maine Cancer Foundation, Bangor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and the Bangor Y. She earned her bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Husson College, graduating summa cum laude, and was elected to Lambda Epsilon Chi. Ballesteros holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Maine, Farmington.
“The Jackson Laboratory plays a critical role in the global biomedical research community and has far-reaching economic impact in Maine, Connecticut and California. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to advance a policy agenda that supports JAX’s mission, grows the research sector and increases economic activity in the states where we have facilities,” said Ballesteros.