FAIRWAY, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioKansas today announced that Dennis Ridenour, President & CEO, will be stepping down, effective February 8th. Ridenour has accepted the President & CEO position at BioNexus KC, another Kansas City non-profit organization working within the life sciences.
Ridenour joined BioKansas in May 2015, after spending nearly 13 years working as a scientific researcher at organizations such as Harvard Medical School, Merck Research Labs and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. During his time at BioKansas, Ridenour was responsible for leading a resurgence of the organization, including growing the organization’s membership by more than 40% and launching industry-guided workforce development programs.
“Dennis has been an integral part of the organization’s resurgence, and we are heartbroken to lose him,” said Dr. Alfred Botchway, Board Chair at BioKansas. “The continued success of BioKansas is a testament to the culture and resilience that he instilled into the organization during his tenure.”
“The decision to leave BioKansas was not an easy one,” said Ridenour, “and I’m very appreciative of having had the opportunity to lead the organization over the past four years. I feel a very strong bond with the organization, its mission and our members, and I will greatly miss the team and the Board, all of whom were incredibly supportive during my time here.”
BioKansas will immediately begin its search for Ridenour’s replacement, and continue its work to develop dynamic, industry-guided programs around connectivity and professional development for its members as well as the region. “Given the important role BioKansas plays in promoting connectivity within the regional life sciences community and the recent launch of several impactful workforce initiatives, I am confident that BioKansas will continue to grow and thrive,” Ridenour said.
“BioKansas is on a strong footing, and I’m excited to see the organization’s continued growth through the recent launch of our initiatives around leadership development, technical and soft skills trainings for industry professionals, and the career center,” said Dr. Karthik Ramachandran, Vice Chair at BioKansas.
About BioKansas: BioKansas serves as the voice of the bioscience community in Kansas, connecting, educating and advocating to grow bioscience jobs in human, animal and plant science technologies across the state. BioKansas is a member- and donor-funded 501(c)(3) public charity. BioKansas programs include BioBreak networking receptions, professional development courses and events open to people involved with and interested in the biosciences, health care and medical device space. BioKansas also runs awards programs for students in high school through post-doc studies, including the BioGENEius Challenge. If you would like more information about BioKansas, visit http://www.BioKansas.org