(San Diego, CA) – Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego is pleased to announce the appointment of David F. Hale to Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Hale has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1996 and has held a number of leadership positions on the Board. Mr. Hale began his new role on Feb. 3, during the Hospital’s Annual Meeting of Board members, volunteers, physicians and community leaders.
“It’s a great honor to be part of an institution that plays such an important role in ensuring the health and well-being of our community’s children,” said Hale, who is the Chairman & CEO of Hale BioPharma Ventures. “My journey with Rady Children’s over the past 20 years has been truly inspiring. I look forward to this new chapter.”
Mr. Hale will serve as Chair of the Governance Committee and Strategic Planning Committee. He will also chair the Compensation Committee, of which he has been a member since 2008; and the Executive Committee, on which he has served since 2007. Other past roles include the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Information Technology Task Force.
“David has been an invaluable member of the Rady Children’s family for more than 20 years,” said Kathleen Sellick, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rady Children’s. “David’s leadership will help Rady Children’s ensure that every child who needs care will receive it. He will inspire us to reach our full potential as caregivers and innovators in pediatric science.”
Mr. Hale’s involvement with Rady Children’s goes back to the early 1990’s before his involvement on the Board of Trustees. He is the founding chair of the Hospital’s Miracle Makers Gala.
Currently, he serves as the Chairman & CEO of Hale BioPharma Ventures, a private company focused on the formation and development of biotechnology and specialty pharma companies. Mr. Hale is an entrepreneur who has been involved in the founding and/or development of a number of biotechnology and specialty pharmaceutical companies.
• In 1982, after joining Hybritech, Inc., the first biotech company in San Diego, he served as COO, President and then Chief Executive Officer, when Hybritech was acquired by Eli Lilly and Co. in 1986.
• From 1987 to 1997 he was Chairman, President and CEO of Gensia, Inc., which merged with SICOR to become Gensia Sicor, Inc., and then was acquired by Teva Pharmaceuticals.
• He was a co-founder and Chairman of Viagene, Inc. from 1987 to 1995, when Viagene was acquired by Chiron, Inc.
• He was President and CEO of Women First HealthCare, Inc. from late 1997 to June 2000, prior to joining CancerVax in October 2000.
• Mr. Hale was President and CEO of CancerVax Corporation from October 2000 through May 2006 when CancerVax merged with Micromet, Inc. a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel biological products for the treatment of cancer. Mr. Hale became Chairman of the combined companies.
• Mr. Hale is a co-founder and Chairman of Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and is Chairman of the Board of Santarus, Inc., which are publicly held companies.
• He is a co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Neurelis, Inc. and serves as Chairman of privately held SkinMedica, Inc., Executive Chairman of Biocep Inc., and Chairman of Ridge Diagnostics, Crisi Inc., and Advantar Laboratories.
• Mr. Hale is a co-founder and director of Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Elevation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
He also is a co-founder and serves on the Board of Directors of BIOCOM, is a member of the Board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Biotechnology Institute. Mr. Hale also serves on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Economic Development Corporation and the Sanford/Burnham Medical Research Institute. He is a co-founder of the CONNECT Program in Technology and Entrepreneurship and served as Chairman of the Board from 2004 to January 2011.