Executive Board

Governing the FLC

The FLC Executive Board determines policy and direction and establishes the annual budget. The Board is responsible for carrying out the organization’s mandated mission to promote, educate, and facilitate federal technology transfer.

Whitney Hastings
Chair

Whitney Hastings

National Institutes of Health

Dr. Whitney Hastings is a senior technology transfer professional with the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Technology Transfer Center. She has decades of experience in technology transfer leading numerous technology transfer initiatives and managed diverse portfolios including therapeutics, medical devices, cosmetics, software and food safety technologies.

Prior to joining the NCI, Whitney was an Intellectual Property and Partnerships Manager at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where she had a pivotal role in expanding the office to include patenting, licensing, enforcement and in growing the number of technology transfer partnerships at several FDA Centers. Before joining FDA she spent several years at NIH's Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), where she was a Senior Licensing and Patenting Manager and Acting Branch Chief of the Cancer Branch. Before working in technology transfer, Whitney worked in industry as an engineer with Corning, Inc. and was a fellow in the NCI Nanobiology program. She graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering and a minor in bioengineering from Clemson University and completed her master’s and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Whitney is the past Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Awards Chair, and the Promote Committee Chair where she led efforts to promote and recognize noteworthy technology transfer efforts of all Federal Government laboratories and oversees three subcommittees – Strategic Communications, Website, and Awards.

David Kistin
Vice Chair

David Kistin

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL)

David Kistin is the Manager of Technology and Economic Development at Sandia National Laboratories, where he leads technical assistance programs for industry partners in partnership with the State of New Mexico. He also serves as the Associate Director of Quantum Information Science (QIS) Ecosystem for the DOE Quantum Systems Accelerator (QSA), and as Director of the Sandia Science & Technology Park. 

+1 (595) 205-3598
John Bittman
Finance Officer/Host Agency Rep.

John Bittman

National Institute of Standards and Technology - NIST

John Bittman is an Interagency Policy Specialist in the Technology Partnerships Office (TPO) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). He works on convening intramural technology transfer personnel, conducting outreach to commercialization stakeholders, and assisting in program and policy formulation on behalf of the interagency technology transfer community.

Prior to joining TPO, John was a Presidential Management Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He worked as a Technology Transfer Manager and Invention Development and Marketing Specialist within the NCI’s Technology Transfer Center, and as a Special Assistant in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

John served on active duty in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper, where he was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn. He holds a PSM in nanotechnology, a BS in interdisciplinary studies (Physical, Biomedical, and Behavioral Sciences), and a Certificate in technology ventures from the University of Central Florida.

Linda Burger
Immediate Past Chair

Linda Burger

National Security Agency (NSA) Technology Transfer Program

Linda Burger is the Director for the Office of Research and Technology Applications at the National Security Agency (NSA) and is the current Chair of the FLC Executive Board.

Prior to NSA, Linda led technology-based economic development programs for two Maryland counties, owned an information technology business, and worked as a systems consultant in the public and private sectors.

She earned an MAS from Johns Hopkins University, a BS in Information Systems Management from University of Maryland and is a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP) from the Licensing Executives Society.

+1 (443) 634-3518
Annie Bullock-Yoder
Interim Promote Chair

Annie Bullock-Yoder

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) - Crane Division

Annie E. Bullock-Yoder is a member of the Technology Transfer Office at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division, where she serves as the intellectual property (IP) and licensing specialist. She is the point person for all NSWC Crane invention disclosures and leads efforts to market and commercialize the IP portfolio.

Annie has earned a Juris Doctor and a Master of Laws in intellectual property from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She has several professional licenses including membership in the Indiana State Bar and as a patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Amanda Corbel
Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator

Amanda Corbel

Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR)

Amanda Corbel is the partnership alliance manager at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), the only federal laboratory focused solely on biomedical research. Within the Center for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships, Amanda supports the FNLCR’s mission to accelerate progress against cancer and AIDS by creating partnerships between the lab’s scientists and external research communities. She also manages programs that aim to advance scientific discoveries and inventions through the development pipeline to de-risk and attract technologies for both partnering and licensing.

Amanda has been an active member of the FLC since 2020, and she is deeply involved in the Mid-Atlantic Region activities. She has supported the current Mid-Atlantic Regional and Deputy Regional Coordinators in surveying and meeting various laboratories in the region to learn more about their technology transfer, licensing and business development activities. By engaging the labs, they identified common problems across the agencies. This process led to a pilot program, the Federal Lab Education Accelerator (FLEX), to address a common lack necessary resources for active marketing, licensing and general technology assessment FLEX fosters long-term collaborations between federal labs and academic institutions by connecting entrepreneurial students with federal labs’ technology portfolios. Amanda has led FLEX since its launch in 2021, and as the FLEX program manager, she maintains close relationships with the participating federal laboratories' tech transfer staff and inventors. FLEX has now expanded to all FLC regions, and all federal labs are invited to join. Currently, more than 20 federal labs and 10 universities are participating in FLEX, and the FLEX portfolio includes more than 100 federal technologies.

In addition to her role in the FLEX program, Amanda is a member of the FLC Facilitate Committee. As a member of the Facilitate Committee, she works with committee members on ways to increase engagement and partnerships that connect the private sector with federal laboratories. She also helped plan and organize the 2021 Mid-Atlantic & Northeast Regional Meeting, 2022 Mid-Atlantic Partnering for Economic Development Meeting and FLC FLEX Program Member Connect.

She holds a BS in biology from Shepherd University and an MS in biotechnology and business management from Mount Saint Mary’s University. She is also a certified project management professional through the Project Management Institute. She is currently pursuing her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Jeffrey Ditullio
Educate Chair

Jeffrey Ditullio

Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)

Jeff DiTullio is the Technology Transfer Officer for the US Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover, NH. Before joining CRREL, he served as the Innovation & Outreach Lead and head of the Office of Research and Technology Applications for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center in Natick, Mass.

Before joining the Soldier Center team, Jeff served as Director of Business Development for Bionaut Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for the licensing of technology and therapeutic programs.  He previously held several positions at Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI), most recently serving as Director of MBI’s Technology Commercialization Center, responsible for providing technology licensing and IP management services to research institutions and start-up companies.  Previously, he held an academic staff appointment as a Technical Instructor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT.  

Jeff holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MS in Environmental Science from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. 

+1 (781) 572-7977
Paige George
Facilitate Committee Chair

Paige George

Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) - Panama City Division

Paige is the Technology Transfer manager at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD). Prior to her ORTA appointment, Paige was the STEM Outreach Program manager as well as the Education Partnership Program manager.

Paige graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida in 2012 through the SMART Scholarship program. Upon graduation she began working at NSWC PCD in the Diving and Life Support Division, where she supported the design, testing, and transition of various diving systems supporting the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and first responders. In 2020, she earned a Master’s degree in STEM Leadership and Education from the American College of Education.

Paige was first introduced to the FLC in 2015 when she attended her first National Meeting. It was at this meeting that she truly understood the importance of technology transfer to national security and the economy. After the first FLC National Meeting, Paige became involved in work under a CRADA in Diving & Life Support Systems. This would eventually lead to her pursuing more work in technology transfer and setting up a full time Office of Research and Technology Applications at NSWC PCD. In 2019, she became the Southeast Regional Coordinator for the FLC, and in 2023, began the role of Chair of the Facilitate Committees.

+1 (850) 230-7187 / +1 (850) 890-0876
David Lee
Northeast Regional Coordinator

David Lee

CCDC Armaments Center

David Lee is a Technology Transfer Associate in the Technology Transfer (T2) Office within the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC) headquartered at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.

As a part of the DEVCOM AC T2 Team, David is responsible for all aspects of DEVCOM AC’s technology transfer practice including executing cooperative research agreements (with domestic, international, academic and industry partners), overseeing the DEVCOM AC patent portfolio, developing intellectual property licensing and marketing strategies, and facilitating and executing strategic partnerships, and agreements with other Federal and State partners.

David began his career with the Army as a Presidential Management Fellow working in labor relations and management employee relations. David received an AB in Government from Dartmouth College, a JD from Indiana University School of Law- Bloomington, and a BS in Biochemistry from Arizona State University. David is admitted to practice law in New Jersey.

+1 (973) 724-1466
Kimberly Minafra
Far West Regional Coordinator, Program Specialist

Kimberly Minafra

NASA

Kimberly Minafra leads and manages the development of NASA partnership agreements and agreement managers. She also provides guidance and technical leadership to NASA projects and programs that support partnerships and technology transfer activities, including budgeting and resource planning, public engagement facilitation, and overseeing agency-wide mission activities.

With over 26 years of distinguished experience at NASA, Kimberly has expertise in project management, integrated communication planning, strategic partnerships and collaborations, policy development, and implementation within the aerospace, science, and technology programs.

Kimberly has been active with the FLC as the Promote Communications Subcommittee Chair since 2020 and was elected FLC Far West Regional Coordinator in 2024. In these roles, she promotes the value of technology transfer and focuses on engagement with federal agencies in the FLC's Far West region: California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona. She holds a BA in communications from the University of Lynchburg.

Andy Myers
Mid-Continent Regional Coordinator

Andy Myers

Kansas City National Security Campus

Andy Myers is the Technology Transfer Lead at the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) operated by Honeywell. In this role, he supports scientists and engineers through the invention disclosure and patenting process, works to commercialize or transfer appropriate technologies outside the campus, and coordinates efforts between the federal space and industrial/academic partners.

Myers has over twenty years’ experience directing research in academic and industrial environments, cultivating and managing partnerships, securing external funding, and coordinating intellectual property. Previously, he served as the Executive Director of the Kansas Polymer Research Center, the Business and Technology Institute, and the PSU Research Foundation at Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, KS).

He is an inventor on three patents and received funding from DOE, NASA, NSF, DOD, and EPA. Andy earned a BS from Purdue University, a PhD from the University of Rochester (both in chemistry), and has an M.B.A. from Pittsburg State.

+1-816-488-4432
Richard Paul
National Advisory Council NAC

Richard Paul

National Advisory Council Chair

Richard R. (Dick) Paul is an independent consultant with more than 40 years of R&D-related management experience. He retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2000 with the rank of Major General after serving 33 years, and from The Boeing Company in 2007 as a vice president after serving seven years.

During his Air Force career, Dick served in three Air Force laboratories, a product center, two major command headquarters, Headquarters USAF in the Pentagon, and a joint staff assignment. His latter three AF assignments were aligned with the Air Force science and technology enterprise, and in his final assignment, he served as the first commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory. At Boeing, he served as a vice president in Boeing’s centralized research and technology organization that develops advanced technologies for Boeing’s family of commercial aircraft and defense-related aerospace products and systems.

Dick is currently the chair of the FLC’s National Advisory Council. Formerly, he served on the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR) Advisory Committee, as chair of the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) Board of Directors, and as a member of the Missions Committee of the Sandia National Laboratories Board of Directors, the National Research Council Air Force Studies Board, and the Air University Board of Visitors. On the civic front, Dick is a current director and vice chair of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s Board of Directors.

+1 (425) 373-6542
Vladimir Popov
Member-at-Large

Vladimir Popov

Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

As chief innovation officer, Vladimir manages and coordinates the Center for Innovation and Strategic Partnerships (CISP), which facilitates the development of future strategic partnerships and collaborations by fostering purpose-driven innovation and targeted outreach to the cancer research community. Through science and technology, business building, and IP and licensing programs, the CISP provides a comprehensive and centralized structure equipped to support internal innovation, provide education, identify and execute partnerships, and increase efficiency in providing internal and external support. His team develops and maintains relationships between the Frederick National Laboratory (FNL), the National Cancer Institute, client organizations and local business communities in Maryland. CISP identifies strategic partnership opportunities capable of addressing important scientific questions and unmet medical needs, handles the evaluation and organization of the national laboratory’s IP portfolio and actively engages in marketing and licensing efforts. 

Before this role, Vladimir was director of the Partnership Development Office, overseeing partnership development and implementation processes, client relationships and partnership projects. Before joining FNL, he worked as a manager in the healthcare industry, entrepreneur and licensing manager. He completed two postdoctoral fellowships at Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Pennsylvania. He holds a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Thomas Jefferson University and an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. 

Vladimir has been an active member of the FLC since joining FNL in 2016. In 2020, Vladimir was elected to be the regional coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region. He is currently serving his second two-year term in this position. As a regional coordinator, he is an active member of the FLC Executive Board and participates in several subcommittees and working groups.

Meghan Sheehan
Midwest Regional Coordinator

Meghan Sheehan

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Meghan Sheehan is a technology transfer professional with over 15 years of experience, currently serving as Federal Technology Transfer Act (FTTA) specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Before joining the EPA, Meghan held positions in academic and nonprofit technology transfer offices and led a technology transitions team at an Air Force Research Laboratory Partner Intermediary and Innovation Institute. Meghan is passionate about finding the right partner to move innovations forward on the development pathway to becoming fielded products and services that make a difference for the public good.

At the EPA, Meghan is part of a team that performs Office of Research and Technology Applications (ORTA) functions for the entire agency. Her main roles include invention mining, marketing and sourcing strategic partners for invention development. Additionally, she assists in the creation and negotiation of technology transfer agreements including CRADAs, data use agreements, material transfer agreements, and non-disclosure agreements. Meghan is an active member of FLC’s Awards Subcommittee, and she previously served on the Lab-to-Market Tech Transfer Tools and Services Subcommittee.

Meghan has a BS from Calvin College and a JD from School of Law at Case Western Reserve University. She registered as a patent agent in 2007 and Certified Licensing Professional in 2020.

Sharon Soucek
Southeast Regional Coordinator

Sharon Soucek

Director, Office of Technology Transfer at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Sharon Soucek directs the Office of Technology Transfer at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), based out of North Carolina. Her office supports NIEHS researchers to partner with their counterparts in academia, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector to deliver innovations that will benefit human health. Sharon earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Northeastern University and her PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Emory University. Her career in technology transfer began with a licensing internship in Emory University’s office of technology transfer. After graduating, she worked as a technology transfer specialist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she negotiated agreements for establishing research collaborations and transferring research materials, performed invention assessments, and devised marketing strategies for technologies developed in the Center for Global Health. She was awarded the FLC 2016 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for supporting the commercialization of a Candida infection diagnostic.

Member-at-Large

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