Georgia Bio announced that Maria Thacker Goethe has assumed the role of Acting President and CEO for the trade association and the Georgia BioEd Institute. She will also remain in her capacity as Executive Director for the Georgia Global Health Alliance.

Ms. Thacker Goethe has served in a variety of roles for Georgia Bio over the years including Marketing, Membership and Project Manager. Since 2013, she served as Vice President of Operations. An innovative thinker with broad-based expertise in operations, community relationship building, and marketing Ms. Thacker Goethe has been a driving force behind Georgia Bio’s programs and the development of the Georgia BioEd Institute. As the organization has grown, Ms. Thacker Goethe’s role and responsibilities have continued to increase and evolve. Her institutional knowledge of the organization and the community positions Georgia Bio for continued success.

“Maria has been an invaluable resource to Georgia Bio for more than a decade. During this time she has established a strong reputation for her industry knowledge and expertise with Georgia businesses, leaders and legislators,” said Georgia Bio Chair, Patricia Fritz, Vice President, U.S. Corporate Affairs at UCB Inc. “The executive committee and board are pleased to have her leadership during this transitional period for the organization.”

Most recently, Ms. Thacker Goethe has been working alongside Georgia BioEd Institute and industry government affairs leaders to develop a proposal to grow Georgia’s biomanufacturing workforce and improve opportunities for young people in rural communities. The proposal involves investing in cutting-edge teacher training workshops which provide students with access and opportunity to high-paying and innovative jobs in the life science industry.

There is still much to accomplish to make Georgia and the surrounding Southeast a world-leading life sciences and global health center, and every effort at Georgia Bio and the Georgia BioEd Institute is solidly connected to that mission.

Ms. Thacker Goethe received her master’s in public health in health education/communication, and maternal and child health from Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and her Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies from Sweet Briar College. She is a 2009 recipient of the Power 30 Under 30 Award for professional and community excellence. Ms. Thacker currently sits on the CJD Foundation Board of Directors and an executive committee member for the Coalition of State Bioscience Institutes. Additionally, Ms. Thacker Goethe volunteers with the Junior League of Atlanta co-chairing the La Amistad Estrellitas program which works to empower Latina teens; she has volunteered with this program for 9 years now.