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Holden discusses role of governing board at AIRI conference

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – Wayne Holden, Ph.D., president and CEO of RTI International, spoke at Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI) conference in West Palm Beach, Florida Sept. 11-14.

As a part of the conference whose theme was “Disruption, A Path Forward,” Holden joined a panel of CEOs and leaders to explore the roles that the Governing Board members play in supporting the CEO and the institute.

"The panel was able to share important insights regarding the role of board governance in research institutes and the impact that CEO's have in shaping governance," Holden said.

AIRI is a nationwide association of nearly 80 independent, not-for-profit research institutes that perform basic and clinical research in the biological and behavioral sciences. AIRI’s mission is to help its members improve human health and advance knowledge. The organization believes that by working together and freely sharing operational and experiential learnings, the scope of research can be accelerated and expanded.

“Dr. Holden’s participation in a governance panel was enlightening to the AIRI membership,” said Cary Thomas, AIRI president. “Regardless of the size of the institution, the economic and operational issues that the panelists reported they face were nearly identical, such as keeping board members engaged with the organization’s mission and continuing to be advocates for the institute.”

RTI was selected to join the AIRI earlier this year and became the first North Carolina-based member of the organization.

“The research only‐missions of independent research institutes like RTI, allow scientists to focus on discovery‐based research while remaining structurally nimble and capable of adjusting research programs to emerging areas of inquiry and the evolving missions of federal research agencies,” Thomas said.

AIRI provides a variety of resources and services for independent research institutes, including member networking, education, and a role in development of federal policies that affect research funding and regulation.

“AIRI is an important organization addressing the myriad of issues involved in the successful development and management of independent research organizations,” Holden said. “The dialogues conducted at the meeting and networking opportunities are of value to staff members across RTI.”