Discovery Parks Welcomes Private Equity Professional -- Venture Capitalist Darrell Elliott Joins Board; Dr. Bernie Bressler Promoted to Chair
Discovery Parks Trust is a social enterprise whose mission is to improve the supportive infrastructure for technology-focused and scientific research and development within British Columbia, Canada's western-most province.
Discovery Parks is pleased to announce the election of Dr. Bernie Bressler as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and to welcome a new trustee, noted Venture Capitalist Darrell Elliott. Dr. Bressler replaces Gerald McGavin, distinguished Vancouver businessman and philanthropist as Chair.
Discovery Parks Trust is BC's leading operator of office and laboratory research space for the technology and life science sectors.
Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) December 18, 2007 -- Discovery Parks Trust is pleased to announce the election of Dr. Bernie Bressler as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and to welcome a new trustee, noted Venture Capitalist Darrell Elliott. Dr. Bressler replaces Gerald McGavin, a distinguished Vancouver businessman and philanthropist who has been a trustee and chair of Discovery Parks since 1987.
"We'd like to thank Mr. McGavin for all his years of service," stated new Chair Dr. Bernie Bressler. "During his tenure, Discovery Parks has created nearly 2 million square feet of technology park space, including almost 500,000 square feet of technology and knowledge transfer facilities on the campuses of BCIT, UBC, SFU and UVic. Mr. McGavin's business acumen and philanthropic outlook have been great assets to Discovery Parks in our capacity as stewards of the original land endowment that we received from the Province."
"We're also very excited that Mr. Elliott has agreed to join our Board of Trustees," Dr. Bressler continued. "Mr. Elliott brings a wealth of experience in successful venture creation and growth. His business acumen will ensure that Discovery Parks maintains the proper balance between industry and academia that has enabled us to assist both communities in successfully supporting the growth of the diverse and innovative technology sector here in BC."
Dr. Bressler is a noted researcher and leader in BC's vibrant life sciences sector. Aside from directing his own research program, he is also Vice-President of Research at Vancouver Coastal Health, Executive Director of Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and Assistant Dean of Research at UBC's Faculty of Medicine.
New trustee Darrell Elliott is an accomplished Canadian-based merchant banker and venture capitalist, and is currently CEO of Apex Bioventures Acquisition Corp. Mr. Elliott brings a wealth of experience in financing and operating technology-based companies in a variety of market sectors including life sciences, as well as traditional industrial venture capital. Prior to joining Apex, Mr. Elliott was Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of MDS Capital Corp. and a former Regional Vice-President of Royal Bank Capital Corp.
With the recent construction and sale of Discovery Green, Discovery Parks has completed the development of Discovery Place, the original 80 acres of land endowed by the Province of British Columbia. With a strong balance sheet in place, Discovery Parks is now working with the broad technology community in BC to chart a new path for the growth of BC's knowledge economy.
About Discovery Parks Trust
Discovery Parks is a social enterprise whose mission is to improve the supportive infrastructure for technology-focused and scientific research and development within the province of BC. Discovery Parks Trust is BC's leading operator of office and laboratory research space for the technology and life sciences sectors. By housing spin-off companies and those seeking to develop strong relationships with post-secondary institutions, Discovery Parks' multi-tenant facilities provide an essential bridge between industry and academia in BC for knowledge and technology transfer.
As a private company with a public purpose, Discovery Parks Trust is a unique organization that has distributed more than $12.6 million of its operating profits to benefit academic research in BC. Discovery Parks is also a leader in Green building development, having built Canada's first LEED-certified lab in 2003. Discovery Green, the organization's flagship LEED-Gold standard facility, is currently under construction in Burnaby, BC.
In 2002, Discovery Parks was recognized by its peers with the Outstanding Research/Science Park Achievement Award from the Association of University Research Parks. Discovery Parks is also a key contributor to the BC Technology Industry Scholarship Fund, supporting young scientists and technologists in their academic endeavours.
For more information about Discovery Parks Trust, please visit http://www.discoveryparks.com.
For more information, contact:
Mark Betteridge, Executive Director & CEO
Discovery Parks Trust
604-734-7275
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