Issue of Aug. 10.
HOSPITALITY
The Hyatt Regency Princeton announced Paul V. Pisarz as the new general manager. He will oversee the operation of the 348-room luxury hotel, which was renovated this year.
A 20-year veteran with Hyatt Hotels, he is coming to West Windsor from his position as general manager of the Park Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. He was also the divisional director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Hotels Corp. in New York City, where he supervised the sales and marketing efforts of 26 hotels in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states.
TECHNOLOGY
Among the 10 new members added to the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group’s board of directors are two area residents:
Princeton resident Lisa Skeete Tatum, currently a general partner at Cardinal Partners in Plainsboro. Cardinal is an early-stage venture capital firm seeking opportunities in the healthcare sector. Ms. Tatum is also on the board of the Kauffman Fellows Program, and is a member of the President’s Council of Cornell Women, the Cornell University Engineering Alumni Board and the Cornell University Council.
Pennington resident Marc Ostro, currently managing director of TL Ventures. Dr. Ostro has considerable experience as a researcher, entrepreneur, company executive, Wall Street analyst and financial adviser. He currently serves on the board of directors of Immunicon Corp., PTC Therapeutics Inc., Polymerix Inc. and Barrier Therapeutics Inc., is an observer on the board of Ventaira and a board member of Princeton Day School and The Invention Factory.
The Greater Philadelphia Venture Group promotes the region’s status as one of North America’s top private equity markets, fostering a world-class private equity and entrepreneurial environment through the support of programs and infrastructure that generate investment opportunities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently presented the 2004 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognizing innovative yet practical technologies that prevent pollution through cleaner, cheaper and smarter chemistry. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge is a voluntary program established through partnership with the EPA and the chemical industry. This year’s five winners include one area company:
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., which has developed a process of obtaining paclitaxel using plant cell fermentation technology. Paclitaxel, the active ingredient in the anticancer drug Taxol, was first isolated and identified from the bark of the Pacific yew tree in the late 1960s. The continuity of supply was not guaranteed because yew bark contains such a minute amount of paclitaxel and isolating paclitaxel required stripping the bark from the yew trees, killing them in the process.
In the new process, paclitaxel is extracted directly from plant cell cultures, then purified and isolated by crystallization. By using plant cell cultures, the sustainability of the supply improves, allows for year-round harvest and eliminates solid bio-waste. During its first five years, this process will eliminate an estimated 32 metric tons of hazardous chemicals and other materials.
Linguagen, a Cranbury-based developer of ingredients used to improve the taste of food, beverages and pharmaceutical products, recently named Scott M. Horvitz as chief financial officer. Mr. Horvitz has more than 23 years’ experience in accounting and financial management of biotechnology companies, including the management of initial public offerings for two biotechnology companies. Cofounder of 3-Dimensional Pharmaceuticals, where he worked from its inception in 1993 until its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in 2003, he most recently served as its chief financial officer and corporate secretary and treasurer.
LAW
Stark & Stark has announced that Andrew M. Salmon has joined the firm as an associate in the personal injury department. He will practice in the Lawrenceville office.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Salmon was a Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor in the prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit, served as prosecuting attorney and assistant prosecutor in St. Louis, Mo., and had his own practice in St. Louis with an emphasis on criminal defense. His experience includes federal, state and municipal criminal trial and appellate practice.
Mr. Salmon resides with his family in Hopewell.
Hamilton resident Anthony L. Velasquez has joined the Princeton office of the law firm Pellettieri, Rabstein & Altman where he will practice commercial litigation and business law. Prior to joining the firm he practiced at the law firms of Kaplin, Stewart in Haddonfield and Hill Wallack in Princeton.
Mr. Velasquez is a member of the New Jersey and Mercer County Bar Associations and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Administrative Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He also teaches business law as an adjunct professor at The College of New Jersey and serves as a commissioner on the Hamilton Township Board of Assessment.
Liberman & Blecher recently announced that Lawrence C. Kroll has become associated with the firm. Mr. Kroll, a resident of East Brunswick, will focus his practice in environmental law and real estate.
The law firm of Lieberman & Blecher represents corporations, small business, individuals and municipalities in an array of environmental, litigation, land use and real estate matters. The Princeton office is located off Route 1 South in South Brunswick.
Thomas F. Carroll III, partner of the Princeton law firm of Hill Wallack, was recently appointed as chairman of the land use section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He has served as vice chair and member of the board of directors of this section for the past five years. Mr. Carroll concentrates his practice in the development application process and the litigation required in the course of land development.
Bruce H. Stern, shareholder and member of the personal injury group at Stark & Stark in Lawrenceville, authored a chapter in the textbook entitled "Pediatric Life Care Planning and Case Management." Mr. Stern wrote the chapter entitled "Use of the Life Care Plan in a Lawsuit Involving a Child." Mr. Stern is a nationally recognized trial attorney who handles cases of children and adults who have suffered catastrophic injury.
PUBLISHING
Innovator Media LLC, an affiliate company of Princeton Communications Group Inc. of Pennington, announced that Joseph J. Caso has been named publisher of its award-winning HR Innovator magazine. The business magazine focuses on the people, products and ideas in the crucial corporate field of human resources and was recently named a "Best New Publication" by the American Society of Business Publication Editors.
Mr. Caso also becomes executive vice president of Innovator Media with this appointment. His background includes extensive work in human resources and marketing.
The Creative Marketing Alliance Publishing Group earned honorable mention in the Best of the Best marketing award competition for its in-house produced industry trade publication, the Electrical Advocate. The marketing competition is presented each year by The Electrical Distributor Magazine. Based in Princeton Junction, CMA is a full service marketing communications company.
RESEARCH
Mathematica Policy Research Inc., a research firm in West Windsor, recently appointed Randall Brown and Barbara Devaney as associate directors in the research division. Both are senior fellows who have been with the company for more than 25 years.
At his new post, Mr. Brown will mentor and supervise researchers in the firm’s health research area. He is a recognized leader in health research with a national reputation for issues related to disease management, coordinated care and long-term care. He is a resident of Hightstown.
Ms. Devaney, of Montgomery, will mentor and superviseresearchers in the human services area. She is recognized as a leader of evaluation research in nutrition, maternal and child health, adolescent health and family formation.
In addition, South Brunswick resident John Hall, a senior statistician at Mathematica, was elected secretary/treasurer of the American Statistical Association’s section on government statistics. He is a member of the ASA Princeton/Trenton chapter and has served as president of the organization.
Daniel Kasprzyk, who heads the firm’s statistical arm, was elected to the ASA’s board of directors as vice president. Mr. Kasprzyk has held a number of elected offices with the ASA, including chair of various sections, and is also an elected fellow of the ASA.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Steven Evans has joined U.S. Trust as a vice president and portfolio manager. In his new role, Mr. Evans will work with individuals to develop investment planning and portfolio management strategies and coordinate with professionals in the firm’s Princeton and Morristown offices to ensure the full range of the firm’s wealth management services are employed to meet the specific needs of each client.
Prior to joining U.S. Trust, Mr. Evans was a portfolio manager at Merrill Lynch in Princeton for five years and a financial advisor at Paine Webber.
Mr. Evans resides in Princeton with his wife, Cheryl.
Northwestern Mutual recognized Princeton area financial representative William Borchert recently at the Association of Agents annual meeting for sales achievements. Mr. Borchert ranked in the top 20 for sales among more than 7,900 Northwestern Mutual Financial Network representatives nationwide. He is associated with the network’s Savino General Agency in Princeton.
Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, the marketing name for the sales and distribution arm of Northwestern Mutual, has more than 350 offices nationwide.
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Pharmacopeia Drug Discovery Inc. announced the appointment of Leslie J. Browne as president and chief executive officer. Dr. Browne had been the COO of Iconix Pharmaceuticals and has also held a number of senior positions in discovery research, strategy and business development.
Pharmacopeia engages in drug discovery through collaborative research arrangements with biopharmaceutical companies and through its own internally funded drug discovery programs. Pharmacopeia is headquartered in South Brunswick.
HUMAN RESOURCES
Terry Adams, of Adams Consulting Group in Princeton, has become co-president elect of the National Speakers Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter. Ms. Adams will also serve as program chair for the coming year. The National Speakers Association’s mission is to advance the art and value of experts who speak professionally.
Adams Consulting Group specializes in organizational growth, cost-effective group training and individual coaching. Ms. Adams draws upon her more than 20 years of entrepreneurial and corporate experience to deliver a creative and innovative approach to organization change.
EDUCATION
East Brunswick resident Joan Messeroll, a toddler program coordinator at the Dow Jones Family Center in South Brunswick, was one of 10 award recipients worldwide presented by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, a leading provider of employer-sponsored childcare and early education. Ms. Messeroll was recognized by her peers, childcare center director and parents of the children in her care for her commitment to excellence in early education. She has been in early education for more than 20 years.
The New Jersey Council of County Colleges presented the 2004 Community College Spirit Award to New Jersey Business and Industry Association president Philip Kirschner for his exemplary service to New Jersey’s county colleges. He was recognized for his leadership in promoting partnerships between the business community and New Jersey’s county colleges. NJBIA has been at the forefront in promoting customized training grants, enhanced job training programs and other business friendly education initiatives. The New Jersey Council of County Colleges is the state association representing New Jersey’s 19 county colleges.