Maryland Delegate Brian Feldman Receives BIO State Legislator of the Year Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 5, 2005) -- The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) named Maryland State Delegate Brian J. Feldman (D) State Legislator of the Year. The award was presented at the Technology Council of Maryland Annual Dinner on May 4 at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center in Rockville, Maryland.
“Delegate Feldman truly understands the benefit the biotechnology industry brings to the state of Maryland,” said Patrick Kelly, BIO’s Vice President of State Government Relations. “He has reached out to the state’s numerous biotechnology companies in an effort to understand the complex nature of establishing and running a biotechnology company in today’s competitive and economically challenging environment,” continued Kelly. “He took a leadership role in sponsoring and securing the passage of the Biotechnology Investment Incentive Act. This is an important piece of legislation that will provide much-needed investment for Maryland biotechnology companies.”
“Brian Feldman recognizes that the lack of venture capital for early-stage biotech companies is a significant problem facing Maryland’s biotechnology community, hurting the State in the fierce national and international competition to attract and grow this industry,” stated Julie Coons, President of the Technology Council of Maryland. “The Tech Council nominated Delegate Feldman for the BIO award because of his work authoring and championing HB 664, which provides tax credits to stimulate investments in these early-stage companies. This legislation will help take Maryland to the next level in growing our biotechnology industry,” she added.
Each year BIO solicits nominations from its more than 1,100 member companies and state affiliate organizations to identify public officials at the state and federal levels of government who consistently support and defend issues of importance to the bioscience community.
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. For more information about BIO, visit www.bio.org
The Technology Council of Maryland is a not-for-profit membership organization that represents the interests of technology companies bringing them together with the state’s federal research agencies and academic institutions. For more information about Technology Council of Maryland, visit http://www.mdhitech.org/.
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