There’s something fascinating about looking at the arc of a person’s career. So often we start out thinking we are going to be one thing, and over the years we move in a different direction and end up doing something else entirely.

That’s certainly the case with Kathy LaPorte, the newest addition to our governing Board, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC).

Ms. Laporte started out with dreams of being a doctor and, after getting a biology degree at Yale University, she applied to go to medical school at both Stanford and Harvard (she was accepted at both, which tells you something about her ability). But somewhere along the way she realized that being a doctor was not for her and so she started thinking about other directions. The one she ultimately chose was business.

And she went about it in style. After gaining experience with a number of firms she teamed up with some colleagues to start New Leaf Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley.

A profile of her in the Silicon Valley Business Journal described her as “smart, thorough and solution-oriented, Ms. LaPorte has spent nearly her entire professional life in venture capital — something of a rarity — and is considered a quick study by those who have worked with her.”

But it’s not just her business acumen that earned her the respect of colleagues and an appointment to our Board by State Treasurer Bill Lockyer. It’s also her experience working in the biotech and healthcare field, evaluating and mentoring later stage biotech companies and early stage medical device and diagnostic companies.

“I’m honored to be joining the Board, and excited about CIRM’s mission to bring new regenerative medicine therapies to patients with chronic diseases,” says Ms. LaPorte. “I hope my experience from 28 years of helping to finance and guide the work of passionate scientists and entrepreneurs, enabling their ideas to get to the people who really need them, will be helpful to the CIRM team.”

In a news release announcing the news, Jonathan Thomas, the Chair of our Board, said:

“We are thrilled to have Kathy join us on the ICOC. As a representative of a life science commercial entity she brings with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise in biotech and business development for healthcare companies and products. Her keen intellect and analytical skills are going to be terrific assets for the Board.”

Ms. LaPorte’s career took a few twists and turns before it led to us, but we’re delighted it brought her here, and we welcome her to the Board.