CIRM's King Leaving for Stanford

Melissa King at June meeting of CIRM board. Others are
 (l to r) then Chairman Robert Klein, newly elected chairman
Jon Thomas,  and James Harrison, outside counsel to the
board. The occasion was the swearing-in of Thomas. 

One of the stalwart veterans of the $3 billion California stem cell agency is leaving in September after nearly seven years in the trenches.

Melissa King, executive director of the CIRM governing board, will depart CIRM for the MBA program at Stanford University.

King has been with CIRM since shortly after the 2004 election in which voters created the agency by approving Prop. 71. King also worked in the campaign for the ballot initiative, dealing with endorsements and media relations, among other things.

During her tenure at CIRM, she was a key figure in making sure board affairs ran smoothly. While she was visible at the 29-member board's public meetings, much of what she did is what I call "invisible work." That's the type of work whose value is only fully realized when it disappears.

Based on our observations over the past seven years, she is smart, well-grounded and hard-working. Sometimes, board members would comment on the extremely late hours she kept as she emailed material to them for upcoming board meetings.

King's last board meeting will be Aug. 24. CIRM is now seeking to find a replacement.

We wish Melissa the very best in her new endeavor. We are sure she will bring valuable insights to her fellow students and faculty at Stanford.