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Management

Targeted Growth, Inc. is led by a team of individuals bringing depth and breadth in biotechnology, agriculture, and business. Thomas Todaro David McElroy, Ph.D. Jay De Rocher, Ph.D. Margaret McCormick, Ph.D. Donald Panter, Ph.D. Larry Williams, Ph.D.

Canola field Trials

	Thomas Todaro	Top
CEO Mr. Todaro co-founded Targeted Growth in 1999, based on novel cell cycle regulator technologies. Mr. Todaro has worked in agribusiness since 1992 directing investments in dairy processing and timber plantations. He is the former General Manager of Alamar Farms Ltd., a Canadian dairy processor located in Vancouver, B.C., and sits on the Board of Directors of BonLac Dairies in Panama City, Panama. Prior to rejoining TGI, Mr. Todaro served as Senior Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions at PayPal. Mr. Todaro was responsible for all aspects of M&A, both national and International. He was also involved in raising over $200 Million in equity capital and the IPO of PayPal (PYPL) for $1.2 Billion in 2002. He holds a Bachelor's degree from The Colorado College and a Master's in Economics from Stanford University.

	David McElroy, Ph.D.	Top
President Dr. McElroy has worked in agricultural biotechnology for over twenty years. Dr. McElroy was a Project Leader with DeKalb Genetics Corp. where he participated in developing the first generation of herbicide and insect tolerant transgenic corn products. In 1999, after the acquisition of DeKalb Genetics by Monsanto, Dr. McElroy joined the agricultural division of Maxygen, Inc. as Vice President of Operations and Business Development to focus on applying directed molecular evolution technologies to opportunities in transgenic crop improvement. In 2002, this division became Verdia Inc. which in 2004 was acquired by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a subsidiary of DuPont. At Pioneer Dr. McElroy served as Senior Director of Trait Product Development & Strategy, working on various aspects of strategic planning and transgenic product development. More recently, he worked as Senior Director of Business Development responsible for trait and technology licensing. In addition to his product and business development expertise, Dr. McElroy brings extensive knowledge of the patent process as an author on over 20 issued patents relating to transgenic crop inventions. Dr. McElroy holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Botany from the University of Aberdeen and a Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from Cornell University. Since 1996, Dr. McElroy has been an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics within Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

	Jay De Rocher, Ph.D.	Top
Scientific Director With more than 20 years experience in plant molecular biology and biochemistry, and over 15 years of research experience with transgenic plants, Dr. De Rocher joined Targeted Growth in 2003. Previously, he worked as a Senior Scientist with EDEN Bioscience Corporation and was a postdoctoral associate at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory at Michigan State University. Dr. De Rocher received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Washington and his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona.

 

	Donald Panter, Ph.D.	Top
Senior Vice Presdient, Product Development Dr. Panter has served as TGI's Senior Vice President of Product Development and as President of Sustainable Oils, LLC, a joint venture between TGI and Green Earth Fuels, since 2007. From 2005 to 2007, Dr. Panter served as vice president for technology at Renewable Agricultural Energy, Inc., a biofuel company. From 1999 to 2005, Dr. Panter served as vice president and chief technology officer at Emergent Genetics, Inc., a global seed company. Prior to 1999, Dr. Panter served as vice president for research and development at Stoneville Pedigreed Seed Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Monsanto Company, that developed, produced and marketed cotton seed varieties. Dr. Panter holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture and a master's degree and a Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics, each from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

 

	Margaret McCormick, Ph.D.	Top
General Manager, Bio-Based Materials Dr. McCormick has served as General Manager of Bio-Based Materials for TGI since 2008.  Prior to joining TGI, Dr. McCormick was a partner with Integra Ventures where she led Integra's biotechnology investment strategy, including its investment in TGI.  Prior to joining Integra, she was the founding president and COO of Sapphire Therapeutics (formerly Rejuvenon Corp.). Earlier in her career she was a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. McCormick earned a Ph.D. in Biology (with a focus on metabolic engineering) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

 

	Larry Williams, Ph.D.	Top
Senior Vice President, Renewable Energy Dr. Williams is has served as TGI's senior vice president of renewable energy since January 2008.  Prior to joining TGI, Dr. Williams served as technical executive at the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit utility industry research and development organization, from 1981 to 2007.  From 1978 to 1980, Dr. Williams served as visiting scholar in the Economics Department at Stanford University.  From 1976 to 1977, Dr. Williams served as national fellow at the Hoover Institution, a public policy think-tank at Stanford University.  Dr. Williams holds a bachelor's degree in physics and mathematics from St. Thomas University, a master's degree in economics from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in physics from Iowa State University.