Cheryl Moore, who played a pivotal role in development of the Janelia Farm Research Campus as its chief operating officer (COO), has been named executive vice president and COO for the Institute. Moore, 44, is the first person to hold the position and assumed her new responsibilities in September. She will lead collaborative strategic efforts for HHMI and oversee operational functions of the organization.

“This is a new position, one well suited to Cheryl’s extraordinary record of achievement and dedication to HHMI,” says HHMI President Robert Tjian. “She will be a superb partner for me and a great asset to HHMI’s executive team, particularly as we identify strategic directions and implement best practices in our operations that will advance the Institute’s work as a science-driven organization that supports research and education at the highest levels.”

Moore joined HHMI in 2004 as COO of Janelia Farm. She was responsible for all operational aspects of the campus and its $100 million annual budget.

“Cheryl literally took Janelia Farm from an empty building to a fully operational campus. She recruited a team who worked tirelessly to create every bit of the infrastructure from scratch,” says Gerald M. Rubin, director of the Janelia Farm campus.

Before becoming COO of Janelia Farm, Moore served as senior vice president and COO of what is now known as the Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla, California. A native of Illinois, Moore spent much of her professional career in the San Diego area, where she also held top management positions with an international financial services firm and both start-up and public health care companies. She is a graduate of the University of San Diego.

Moore serves on the board of the Association of Independent Research Institutes and until recently served on advisory boards for a number of other organizations, including the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason University, the Virginia campus of George Washington University, and the Virginia Biotechnology Association. She has also been a member of the Economic Development Commission of Loudoun County, Virginia. She was named one of the top 25 “Women Who Mean Business” for 2007 by the Washington Business Journal and was nominated for the 2008 Athena Pinnacle Award, honoring women leaders in San Diego.

Photo: Robert Merhaut