By Graziella DiNuzzo, Director of Communications and Development , WTCGP President, Carlos Gonzalez Jr., walked past the stacks of unwrapped Christmas presents towering in the corner of the conference room, a few floors above the American Cable Company warehouse in Northeast Philadelphia. “I still have to wrap my grandkids presents,” he smiles. “Welcome to American Cable Company.” “None of this would have happened if my dad hadn’t won the lottery to leave Cuba with me, my sister and mom in the late 60’s,” Gonzalez says with outstretched arms pointing to the shelves lined with toy sized John Deere and Caterpillar trucks and cranes. “When we got off the plane in Miami, the person greeting us asked my dad where he wanted to go and he said, north. We ended up in Queens New York. I still remember the milk crate on the fire escape we used as a refrigerator and how our laundry would get frozen stiff on the outside clothesline.” Six months after arriving in New York, Carlos Sr. accepted a job as a painter, and relocated his family to North Philadelphia. It wasn’t long before Carlos Sr. was supervising 50 people. “He was a leader,” Gonzalez says. “He worked so hard, had an idea, and made it happen.” After a day of painting, Carlos Sr. would hand make replacement auto battery terminals– a part sought after by area mechanics. “I would go around Philly collecting scrap metal.” “We would melt down the lead from scrap in a homemade 55-gallon drum furnace - in our garage. Back then we piped the exhaust through our home chimney,” laughs Gonzalez. No, we weren’t afraid.” “My dad would go door-to-door selling to mechanics from the trunk of his car.” Carlos Sr. eventually quit his day job and dedicated the rest of his life to growing his idea into a business. “I was in high school in 1976 when we first started the company,” Gonzalez recalls. “The lead would be dumped into our yard and we would hand lift every bar. Friends and family would help. It was hard, but we did it.” Orders were coming in fast. “Harry” was their first distributor – one of the first in a series of instrumental people who would become like family. “We didn’t have a contract, just a handshake, just our word.” Quality Control Manager, Daryl Greene recalls, “I remember Carlos Senior’s strength, in character. And physically, he was a strong man. A good man.” Matthew Tretter, Plant Manager adds, “This is a nice family run company. They treat everyone like family. Carlos Senior would tell us to get it done and get it right.” In the 1980’s Edgar Huertado saw a man driving a forklift in the parking lot of American Cable’s first warehouse. He asked the man for a job and the man, Carlos Sr., told him to come back the next day – he’s been working with the family for 38 years. “He was like a father to me,” says Huertado, now an Engineer. Gonzalez slaps Huertado on the back “And I remember my mom asking what Edgar wanted for lunch.” Today, American Cable Company, Inc. comprises five manufacturing divisions, which include battery cables, wiring harnesses, assemblies, components, and contract manufacturing. All products are made in America from its 170,000 square foot manufacturing facility located in Northeast Philadelphia, PA. American Cable sells their products to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), defined as manufacturers who resell another company's product under their own name and branding. American Cable customers also include John Deere, Caterpillar and small to medium sized businesses requiring customized parts. In 2005, American Cable began to export. “Approximately 30% of our sales are export,” says Henke de Vos, Global Sales Manager. “We export to the UK, Poland, Germany, India, Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, France, Brazil, Italy and most recently, Australia.” With the support of Dale Foote, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia International Trade Specialist, American Cable has set up distributors in Italy, Australia, and Poland. “Our company is well known for delivery and flexibility and superior engineering support,” adds de Vos. In addition to its highly skilled, trained staff, American Cable hires and trains through IMPACT Services Corporation, a community organization that helps economically disadvantaged, as well as veterans and ex-prisoners find meaningful employment. Carlos Gonzalez Jr. has been President of American Cable since 1990. Although retired, Carlos Sr. would start his day at the factory at 5 am every morning. In 2010, Carlos Sr. celebrated his last birthday, his 82nd - at the warehouse. “I know what the American dream is – it’s real. If you can make it anywhere, it’s here. I know what it took for my dad to get here,” says Gonzalez. “Great But Also Good,” the title of PA State Treasurer Joseph Torsella’s recent personal commentary on President George H.W. Bush, expresses in its simplicity what so many have been sharing this week about the leader and the man. It was how Barbara Bush spoke about her husband, then - Presidential Candidate George Bush when I first met her in 1979 at a Springfield, Mass. Chamber breakfast. I was impressed by the resume and equally impressed by how she spoke of the man, his strength, kindness, humility and above all, love of country and of family. I said, “Sign me up!” And thus began work on the Bush Presidential primary campaign, later the Reagan-Bush campaign, that led to me Washington, DC., as a young political appointee. With earlier positions at State and USIA, I was proud to serve President Bush as an Assistant Secretary of Commerce, overseeing worldwide offices dedicated to promoting this great country of ours to international visitors. I will always remember President Bush’s personal participation in a video showcasing the beauty and diversity of America, where the film ended with the President asking, “So what are you waiting for, an invitation from the President? America, it’s yours to Discover.” Soon after, we received hundreds of letters from people abroad who had seen the video. One, in particular, I shall never forget, where a British citizen remarked, “How wonderful for you to publicly declare your love of country!” I also remember his kindness toward and appreciation of staff, at every level. How President and Mrs. Bush would delay departure to Texas during the Holidays so that USSS agents would have time for family. That was Bush 41. Unabashedly proud of our country and considerate of others. I later worked for his son, Bush 43, as an Assistant Commerce Secretary for Trade and, then, Vice Chair at Ex-Im Bank. So when I went to the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, I joined so many Americans in saying thank you, President Bush, for your dedicated and principled leadership and for your love of country. And I expressed gratitude for the opportunity he gave me to experience and appreciate the nobility of public service. It is my hope that many young people who came to know President Bush through the stories and tributes of these last few days will also be encouraged to serve our great country. Linda Mysliwy Conlin President, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia Via BDP International BIS has developed a Small Business page at www.bis.doc.gov/smallbiz to provide an introduction to the requirements of the EAR. The webpage features a new BIS training video “Export Controls: A Quick Start Guide” that provides the basic information an exporter needs to know to comply with the EAR, in a concise and entertaining manner.
The page also offers a new mechanism to contact one of our regulatory counselors by email at [email protected]. While anyone can submit their questions to us via this form, it is a direct and easy way for small companies, individuals, and those new-to-export controls to get assistance. Online Training Room: Brand new training videos are now available on the BIS Online Training Room, including “Export Controls: Classifying your Item,” and tips for utilizing the BIS’s online application and classification system, SNAP-R. Additional videos will be available in the coming months. If you have an idea for a BIS training video, please send your ideas to [email protected]. BIS Brochures: BIS updated several introductory guides available in the Export Control Basics page: • Introduction to the Commerce Department’s Export Controls • How to Determine an Export Control Classification Number • Frequently Asked Questions to Export Licensing Requirements The material on these webpages should be helpful to all those who are new to the requirements of the EAR, and for those interested in a refresher. If you have customers who might benefit from this material (or friends and relatives who still don’t know what it is that you do), feel free to forward these resources along. As always, we value your feedback on the initiative and any suggestions you may have for future improvements. Please send feedback and inquires to [email protected]. Via Philadelphia International Medicine News Bureau FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
A co-management telemedicine solution for the international medical community PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA – Philadelphia International Medicine (PIM) has launched a comprehensive platform to provide the international medical community with clinical and educational services, which provides international physicians and their patients access to U.S. academic medical options without traveling miles away. Global Medical Connectivity (GMCT) is a web-based, co-management telemedicine solution, created to partner with physicians to manage their patient’s advanced cardiology, neuroscience and oncology needs. This enhanced and comprehensive alternative to a patient’s routine medical travel will focus on assessing, diagnosing and managing each patient in conjunction with his or her treating physician. “We are delighted to partner with key opinion leaders and hospitals in some of our key markets to provide opportunities to co-manage patients that are not able to travel to Philadelphia. This program also supports the efforts to nurture the relationship with the in-country treating physician and our physicians. This is the future of medicine now,” said Edgar Antístenes Vesga-Arias, MPR, CMI, PIM’s Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. This telemedicine solution differs in many ways from traditional medical second opinions and telemedicine services in that (1) Global Medical Connectivity (GMCT) is a co-management, physician advisory program (2) program promotes local treatment of patients (3) treating physician and patient participate live for all sessions (4) sessions are scheduled throughout the course of patient’s treatment. To learn more about Global Connectivity contact Lorena Rodriguez at 215-575-3755 or [email protected]. About Philadelphia International Medicine Philadelphia International Medicine (PIM) is a healthcare organization dedicated to bringing the services of eight prestigious Philadelphia area hospitals to the international community. PIM’s network includes Fox Chase Cancer Center, Temple University Hospital, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital as anchor organizations and affiliate healthcare organizations include Wills Eye Hospital, Rothman Institute, the Vincera Institute, Magee Rehabilitation Hospital and the Renfrew Center. Learn more about PIM by visiting www.philadelphiamedicine.com. PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL MEDICINE® NEWS BUREAU Contact: Deborah Davis; +1 (215) 575-3728; [email protected]; www.philadelphiamedicine.com By Dave Whitman, President, Sunhillo Corporation, Dr. John Berthold, D.M. The skies above the United States and around the world are crowded and it’s getting worse. On an average day in the United States, Air Traffic Control (ATC) handles over 28,000 commercial flights, 27,000 General Aviation flights, 24,000 air taxi charters, 5,000 military flights, and approximately 2,000 air cargo operations. Globally, there are roughly 100,000 scheduled flights per day, transporting about 8 million people to their destinations. Add the potential that tens of thousands of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS’s) could be flying and sharing the same airspace, and we have a larger challenge looming. That is, our ability to control, surveil and safely separate all these assets fighting for space in our skies. So, what does the future portend? The answer is a little uncertainty laced with solutions already in place and companies working daily to solve these and other issues to provide us with a safe, and efficient global aviation system. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system, a technology mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is scheduled to be fully deployed and operational on all aircraft by 2020. ADS-B complements traditional ground-based radar systems and constitutes a paradigm shift in ATC toward satellite-based, cooperative, and dependent surveillance. Unlike traditional radar systems, ADS-B provides enhanced situational awareness capabilities by empowering aircraft to automatically broadcast and report their locations. ADS-B enhances aviation safety by making each aircraft visible, in near real-time, to both ATC and other appropriately equipped aircraft with identification and position data. The new system improves air travel safety, increases on-time arrivals and departures; and reduces fuel consumption and carbon emissions significantly through more efficient air traffic routing. ADS-B is often, colloquially and without a lot of technical jargon, known as ‘a GPS system for the skies’. The traditional approach for ensuring situational awareness is to rely on radar systems. Conventional ground-based radar systems can be classified as Primary Surveillance Radars (PSR) or Secondary Surveillance Radars (SSR). PSR systems, known to many through television and movies, transmits high-frequency signals which are reflected off the “painted” target or aircraft. By receiving and evaluating the echoes, the range and azimuth of the aircraft can be determined. In contrast, SSR relies on transponders in the aircraft, which respond to interrogations from the ground stations. SSR systems contain altitude, aircraft identification codes and special information such as registration, type and class of aircraft. Since surveillance data is derived from aircraft transponders, SSR systems are a form of dependent surveillance, similar to the airborne Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcasting (ADS-B) system. The difference, in general terms, derives from the ability of aircraft to broadcast its own position for all to see, and for the empowered pilot to be able to surveil, ‘see and avoid’, other aircraft at greater distances while also communicating to ground ATC stations. The “magic” in this whole process comes from the separation, translation, consolidation and transmission of surveillance data, received in multiple formats, into an acceptable form that is used by automation systems for ATC controllers to see and separate aircraft. It is in this “gray area”, between the receipt and acceptance of usable surveillance data, whether traditional radar or ADS-B, where a very few and specialized niche companies operate. One such company, headquartered in the Philadelphia-area, has an established and world-wide presence – Sunhillo Corporation. For over a quarter century, Sunhillo, a small employee owned business headquartered in West Berlin NJ and within commuting distance of Philadelphia, has been providing surveillance enabling technologies to the FAA and air traffic service providers worldwide. Its suite of products and systems collect, filter, convert, and distribute surveillance data from multiple sources including PSR, SSR and ADS-B. For the ADS-B program, Sunhillo helped to design, produce and install its ground-based distribution network. As a matter of fact, the ‘heartbeat’ of the ADS-B distribution network uses Sunhillo products and technologies to enable its operations. Across the world, Sunhillo products, systems and their expertise are a valued commodity. Sunhillo’s international business is bolstered through a worldwide supply network of distributors, agents, and an office in the UK. Sunhillo products are used in 48 countries around the world in support of air traffic operations. Customers include Eurocontrol, a European organization with headquarters in Brussels that includes 41 other member countries. Eurocontrol was specifically created to facilitate a safe and seamless air transportation system across Europe. In the UK, NATS, its National Air Traffic Services provider, routinely calls upon Sunhillo to offer both its expertise and products. Other Air Navigation Service Providers that call on Sunhillo include Spain, Germany, the Republic of Georgia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Chile among others. For the defense of European skies, Sunhillo products are supplied to NATO in support of its on-going mission. Yet, Sunhillo’s mark on the aviation community goes even deeper. In 2013, Sunhillo was invited to participate in the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), a large UAS test site consortium comprised of academia, government, industry, economic development organizations and research parks. The primary role of these test sites are to ensure that UAS operations can be tested in a safe environment and to gather data to help in the development of regulations and operational procedures for future commercial or civil use of UAS vehicles (drones) in our airspace. Additionally, Sunhillo participates in an on-going NASA UAS study group on how to manage UAS assets that share our skies. Sunhillo’s suite of products and inherent expertise in the area of ATC surveillance continues to play a pivotal role in the expected UAS tsunami to come. There are other antidotes about Sunhillo that are not well known or publicized. Sunhillo supports the US Secret Service in the tracking of Air Force One. Sunhillo designed, and the FAA deployed, a mesh network of simulated or “virtual radar” coverages across the Gulf of Mexico where ground based radars are ineffectual. Sunhillo products are used for drug interdiction missions, surveilling the southern portion of the US and Caribbean regions. And, Sunhillo products are an integral part of our border security solution that uses Tethered Aerostat Radar Systems to surveil our southern border with Mexico. For a small company, Sunhillo does big things to make the world a safer and more efficient place in which to fly. Sunhillo is also a proud supporter of the Philadelphia World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia and previous winner of the prestigious New Jersey “Company of the Year” award. By Graziella DiNuzzo, Director of Communications and Development Bill Leinweber, President and CEO of National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) admits that NDRI’s work is complicated, because medical research is complex. For nearly 40 years, NDRI has accepted the challenge of meeting increasing demands of the medical research community, who rely on high-quality, healthy, and diseased biospecimens to conduct lifesaving research. “There is not another organization that does everything we do, “explains Leinweber. “We serve researchers across the full spectrum of the life-sciences and provide everything from brain to miniscule tissues that scientists may need.” The phone rings daily at NDRI, and trained call center staff work 24 hours per day, 7 day per week, 365 days per year to screen offers for tissues and organs from donors ranging from cadaveric to those being evaluated for transplant. The requests are quite specific and follow strict protocol. “We screen all protocol criteria until we have a match. This includes the volume, type of medium, how the biospecimens is preserved (fresh, fixed, or frozen), how it should be shipped, the day the lab will accept it- and the age, sex, and the medication the donor was taking. ” Leinweber describes. NDRI partners with a nationwide network of over 130-tissue source sites, including organ procurement organizations, tissue banks, eye banks, hospitals, and individual donors. As the liaison between procurement sources and the research community, NDRI is supporting major advances in the treatment and cure of human diseases. “In the US there are 58 organ procurement organizations and we work with 56 of them,” emphasized Leinweber. “All deaths that occur in an acute healthcare setting in the United States by law have to be referred to an organ procurement organization for screening, so if someone passes away, even if they are not registered as a donor, their death has to be reported.” Recently, NDRI received an $800,000 National Institute of Health (NIH) grant to support research for Alzheimer’s Disease, Autism, and HIV/AIDS; this in addition to a $6.5 million five-year NIH award given in August 2018 for recovery and distribution of human organs on behalf of the Research resource for Human Tissues and Organs (RRHTO). A unique element of NDRI’s work supported through this agreement is provision and distribution for neurological research supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). In the last five years, NDRI has provided 884 neurological biospecimens to 79 researchers, including normal and pathological tissues for diseases including ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy, pure autonomic failure, Lewy body dementia and spinal muscular atrophy. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute also provides funds for tissue collection, storage and distribution in support of research into rare lung disease lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), and other heart, lung, and blood tissue research. “For a researcher, acquiring human specimens can be costly.,” Leinweber reminds me, “The fees that are a charged to a researcher by NDRI are about passing on the cost for the procurement of the tissues. Our support from the NIH allows us to provide this service at a discounted rate to scientists supported by the NIH.” NDRI employs 45 full time staff, which includes PhD scientists, a 24/7 call center and executive management. Every order is customized, and some may require additional consultation from NDRI’s expert scientists. “We provide both normal and diseased tissue. Surprisingly, about 60% of what we provide is normal tissue. There may be breast cancer tissue that is removed and the scientist is also interested in the normal tissue that surrounds the cancer that was excised,” Leinweber says. NDRI has supported select research projects including one in partnership with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. “There is no animal model for cystic fibrosis,” says Leinweber. Using its extensive national network, NDRI provided suitable human biospecimens to support the development of several therapeutic compounds by industry partners that are now helping Cystic Fibrosis patients lead more productive lives. “We continue to work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation on the procurement of explanted lungs which were used to support the development of the first and second drugs to treat specific mutations of cystic fibrosis,” adds Leinweber. Identifying therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain is another research project, which investigates alternatives to using opioid-based treatments for pain. Scientists at pharmaceutical companies and academic institutes reached out to NDRI’s dorsal root ganglia (DRG) program which provides researchers with a human model system to study both pain and non-pain neurons. The result? The investigators can experiment directly on human neurons leading to peer-reviewed published medical articles in Nature Medicine and Neuron. For the past 25 years, NDRI has been partnering with Japan’s non-profit organization, Human and Animal Bridging Research Organization (HAB) to facilitate research using non-transplantable tissue from post mortem human donors, which have been extracted for research use in the US and Europe. At one time, extraction of human organs for research and implant was forbidden in Japan. Navigating diverse, global cultural ethics in medical research is challenging. Nevertheless, NDRI remains eager to increase its entry into international markets. Dale Foote, International Trade Specialist for the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia (WTCGP), has been assisting NDRI to investigate opportunities in, the UK, Canada, South Korea and Singapore. NDRI has already shipped some biospecimens to China. When asked what obstacles NDRI may have, Leinweber replies, “Science is constantly changing and it becomes both a challenge and an opportunity. It requires us to be able to adapt. We have learned over time that researchers are doing more with less. There was a time when a researcher may have needed a whole liver to conduct a study, maybe now he or she may just need a little bit. Also, 60 to 70% of tissue we provide is fresh tissue v. frozen.” Leinweber paints the picture, “The researcher may be from Phoenix, we may end up getting the eyes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and the donor may have come from somewhere in New Hampshire. Then, we have to get the courier involved, and it’s all happening in real time.” At the end of the day, the entire NDRI team has each had a hand in advancing medical research. From their downtown office in Philadelphia, NDRI is navigating the complex web of delivering the organ and tissues entrusted by donor families. Once the package arrives, there is another team waiting to maximize the use of its precious contents to conduct research in hopes to ultimately extend and save lives. By Graziella DiNuzzo, WTCGP Director of Communications and Development Dr. Nair will be officially inaugurated as President on October 13th. A weeklong series of events entitled: Reimagining Our Higher Education Community: From Inclusion to Justice will begin on October 8th.
Dr. Ajay Nair is the first person of color to be appointed president of Arcadia University, one of the first university presidents in the United States of Indian heritage who was born and raised in Philadelphia and one of the first leaders in higher education to be called a disruptor. Nair credits his parents, who are community leaders and advocates in Philadelphia through the Kerala Art & Literary Association of America, for influencing his desire to serve the community. “At an early age, I was able to better understand that cultures are fluid and dynamic and that we do not and should not live in cultural boxes,” Nair states. Nair’s book, Desi Rap: Hip Hop and South Asian America, co-edited with Murali Balaji, is a collection of essays from South Asian American activists, academics and hip-hop artists who write about racial identity, class status, gender, sexuality, racism and culture. “In many ways, my own unique identity development shaped my interest and scholarship in race and ethnicity.” In the introduction to Desi Rap, Nair writes, “Hip-hop was the language for those of us who rebelled against both the expectations of the Anglo society and of our South Asian parents. Through this genre, we were able to carve out our own identity that allowed us to exist – quite vocally – in the expansive gray area between Black and White.” In the afterword, Nair and Balaji adeptly summarize the essays, “Our voices and actions ultimately yield a kaleidoscope critique of our racial ambiguity and invisibility; we are empowered to evoke our multiplicity through action, reflection, debate and dialogue. Nair entered college in the early 90’s “during turbulent times – racial uprisings in L.A., Mount Pleasant, Crown Heights, Washington Heights, Eastside Lexington, among many political challenges. “Racial and social justice became a primary focus of my work in college and beyond. I wanted to seek positive transformation for our world and I saw higher education as a vehicle for change.” Changing the landscape in higher education has been Nair’s career mission. With leadership and faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, the University of Virginia and the World Language Institute in Kwangju, South Korea, Nair has carved his role to be “a difference maker in the lives of students.” Most recently, Nair served as senior vice president and dean of Campus Life at Emory University and has served on a wide range of university and civic boards including as director of the Division for Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice for NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators for Higher Education). “We have a unique opportunity in higher education to discover new ways of knowing and understanding, and we should apply these ways to various societal issues domestically and internationally.” Since his days as a student, Nair admits that today’s students face other challenges. “There is increased scrutiny on higher education because of rising costs, lack of access, poor retention of students, among many things. The value of higher education has been called into question. Many students and families ask, “Is College worth it?” Nair believes Arcadia’s value proposition is clear. “We will help students become both work-ready and life-ready.” Nair was attracted to Arcadia’s bold history, which dates back to 1853 in Beaver, Pennsylvania formerly known as Fort McIntosh, created by General McIntosh of Washington’s Colonial Army during the Revolutionary War. In December of 1853, a charter was granted and Beaver Female Seminary was founded. By 1872, the school was named Beaver College after receiving its college status. In 2000 the board of trustees made an historic decision to change its status and become Arcadia University. Today Arcadia University delivers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs to over 4,000 students and holds its number one ranking for its study abroad program. “Arcadia has always been forward-thinking. This is exciting. This is what we need to build on, and we must continue to be bold through academic, international, extracurricular and campus opportunities.” Nair’s vision for Arcadia and the future of higher education is clear – he sees it as a global destination that delivers an “affordable, distinctive and relevant liberal arts experience. He answers his own question, “How will we get there?” “Arcadia will get there by creating and maintaining a community in which scholars of all cultural backgrounds and thought perspectives are welcome and encouraged in their academic pursuits; a community that attracts and retains the faculty and students that are the best-fit for Arcadia and for whom Arcadia is the best-fit for them. I see a University that doesn’t simply follow best practices, but creates them.” Moving back home to Philadelphia to become the 22nd president of Arcadia University was a dream-come-true for Dr. Ajay Nair. “The rich and diverse heritage of Arcadia, Glenside, Cheltenham, and Philadelphia, as well as the global communities in which Arcadia serve, provide us with an extraordinary platform to be change agents. I feel I’ve been awarded the world.” Meet Joe D’Antonio, Director of International Trade Services - the newest member of the WTCGP team9/25/2018
When Joe D’Antonio isn’t busy having his picture taken with former President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón, you can find him in his new office at the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, at One Penn Center in Philadelphia. Graziella took a few moments of his time to ask him some questions:
How long have you been working in international business? - I first started working extensively in international business as a Director of Training at the Weck div. of Bristol-Myers, Squibb and later as the Director of Global Training for Davis&Geck, the medical device and surgical division of American Cyanamid. As my career progressed, I have held global sales, marketing and business development positions at General Motors, LectraJet and Oakworks. My work at LectraJet was almost exclusively global and included international collaborations with the US/CDC, PAHO, PATH (Gates Foundation), WHO, NIH, and several in-country health agencies in South America, Africa and Asia. Additionally, I have consulted with several international companies, providing assistance with their business development initiatives and managing global joint ventures as an Alliance Manager. These experiences have covered 30+ years of global travel and work. What are some of the highlights of your international career? I have been privileged to have both worked and traveled in over 40 countries. Many of these have included extended work periods including China, India, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and most of Europe. My work at LectraJet with needle-free vaccine delivery took me to many places around the world, working with health agencies and foundations focused on the elimination of the reuse of contaminated needles from vaccination programs. Perhaps the biggest highlight of my international career was the opportunity to experience first-hand the many cultures and wonderful diversity of the world. It has been a beautiful experience, to meet and work with different people with different opinions, religious beliefs, cultural experiences and to live day-to-day life with them. I celebrated their holidays and family celebrations, discussed global politics, indulged in their cuisine, engaged in international trade, and most importantly; made many life-long friends. What will be your role at the WTCGP? As Director of International Trade Services, I will oversee the trade services program for the WTCGP. I will assist companies in accessing market research and intelligence to select the right market(s) for the company’s product or service, develop international business plans and market entry strategies, identify international customers, distributors, agents, and partners in selected markets. I will advise on trade shows and missions, logistics, regulatory policies and available export financing and grant support. I will oversee the expansion of our China Club to the Asian Club, intended to expand the business reach of our companies and as such, the international business opportunities they can engage with. The WTCGP is constantly seeking new markets and diverse opportunities, giving our clients the competitive advantage and support of a truly global organization focused on their international trade. My primary role is to be part of the team that delivers this truly world class service. Via NDRI PHILADELPHIA, PA., September 20, 2018 — The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) has been awarded more than $800,000 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to supplement a current $6.5 million grant provided to NDRI that supports continued national leadership with the recovery and distribution of human organs and tissues for medical research over the course of five years. The supplemental awards provide support for NDRI to serve as a human biospecimen resource for research focused specifically on Alzheimer’s disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and HIV/AIDS. The three awards are supplements to NDRI’s Human Tissues and Organs for Research Resources (HTORR) program which has been supported by the NIH since 1987.
The first supplemental award focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and its related Dementias (AD/ADRD). The primary objective of the award is to address current gaps in research by developing a comprehensive AD/ADRD human biospecimen resource that will provide highly-annotated biospecimens from living and post mortem donors with a history of AD/ADRD. This award is provided by the National Institute on Aging and the Office of the Director. The second supplemental award focuses on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). NDRI will provide the NIH’s Neurobiobanks with post mortem brains recovered from donors with a history of ASD that will further research into the etiology of the disorder. A second objective of this work is to collaborate with leading medical research institutions and healthcare professional to identify and recover age-match control brains. This award is provided by the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Office of the Director. HIV/AIDS is the focus of the third supplemental award with an objective to develop an HIV Human Tissue Resource for Large Scale and Cohort-Specific HIV Studies. Through this grant NDRI will provide federally-funded investigators access to a rigorous and uniform collection of human biospecimens obtained from defined cohorts of HIV positive donors with the intent of yielding consistent and reproducible experimental results for groundbreaking studies. This award is provided by the Office of the Director of the NIH. “The combined public health impact of Alzheimer’s disease, Autism Spectrum Disorder and HIV/AIDS is staggering,” said Bill Leinweber, President and CEO of NDRI. “We look forward to supporting these critical research efforts with the expertise and competencies NDRI has demonstrated though our HTORR program.” “It is indeed a privilege for NDRI to be awarded support from the NIH to further leverage the impact of our longstanding efforts to support investigators with the biospecimens needed to advance discovery,” said Mary Hendrix, PhD, President of Shepherd University and Chair of the NDRI Board of Directors. About NDRI The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) is the nation’s leading source of human tissues, cells and organs for scientific research. A not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 1980, NDRI is funded in part by the National Institutes of Health, public and private foundations and organizations, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporations. NDRI is a 24/7 operation that partners with a nationwide network of over 130 tissue source sites (TSS), including organ procurement organizations (OPOs), tissue banks, eye banks, and hospitals. The TSS, are distributed throughout the USA, in 45 states, with concentrations in major metropolitan areas on both the east and west coasts. Their wide geographic distribution allows NDRI to provide biospecimens from donor populations with diverse demographics and also facilitates the timely and efficient provision of fresh tissues directly to researchers across the U.S. and around the world. By serving as the liaison between procurement sources and the research community, NDRI is uniquely positioned to support breakthrough advances and discoveries that can affect advances in the treatment and cure of human diseases. # # # Media Inquiries: Eileen P. Falchetta Director, Marketing & Communications 215-557-7361, ext. 239 [email protected] |
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