Face-to-face With the California Stem Cell Agency: San Diego to San Francisco

Californians will have a chance next week to go eyeball-to-eyeball with the top leaders of the state’s $3 billion stem cell agency and tell them what they think.

Meetings will be held in San Francisco, Los Angeles and the San Diego area. Plus there is a “light” lunch, but you do need to RSVP to info@CIRM.ca.gov.

Kevin McCormack, senior director of communications for the agency, wrote about the sessions earlier this week. He said they were part of the revision of the agency’s strategic plan – how it intends to spend its remaining $800 million or so.

The agency earlier posted on online survey for the public. But McCormack said on the agency’s blog:

“There is a big difference between ticking a box and having a conversation. These upcoming meetings are a chance to talk together, to explore ideas and really flesh out the details of what this strategic plan could be and should be.”

Originally the initial cut of the plan was scheduled to be presented to agency directors late this month. However, McCormack told the California Stem Cell Report that presentation was being postponed.

“The reason is pretty simple; the strategic plan is going to be the blueprint for the future of the agency and  will play a vital role in shaping the direction in the next few years so we take we want to make sure the board has a chance to discuss it in detail. Because so many board members are not going to be able to attend the July meeting – family vacations etc. - we felt it just made more sense to postpone the discussion of the plan to our next in-person board meeting, in September.” 

Here are the locations and times for the sessions.

La Jolla, Monday, July 13 at noon at Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive.

Los Angeles: Tuesday, July 14 at noon at Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, 1425 San Pablo Street, 1st floor conf. room Los Angeles.

San Francisco: Wednesday, July 15 at noon at CIRM, 210 King Street (3rd floor), San Francisco.